Lemony Chickpea Casserole

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This lemony chickpea casserole is the perfect balance between hearty comfort food and bright, vibrant flavour. It’s light enough to enjoy year-round, but still filling and full of goodness.

And my favourite bit: there’s no pre-cooking required! Just mix all the ingredients together, and pop it in the oven. It couldn’t be easier!

Lemony chickpea casserole served with garlic bread and lettuce.

I’ll admit, the ingredients list is a little longer than most of my recipes, but it really doesn’t make much difference when all you need to do is chuck everything into a bowl and mix.

I served this chickpea casserole with some salad and garlic bread, and it made a perfect summery dinner. If you’re in a colder part of the world, it would also be great served with some roast potatoes or roasted vegetables.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • The recipe couldn’t be easier to make, with no pre-cooking required! If you can mix ingredients, you can make this chickpea casserole.
  • Lemon and parsley is such a classic combination, and they bring a bright, zesty flavour to the chickpea bake.
  • Chickpeas are a great form of vegetarian protein, and they’re also full of fibre and a good variety of vitamins and minerals.
  • You can customise the recipe with your own choice of vegetables, if you’d like to – just make sure you choose veg that can bake without needing any pre-cooking, e.g. spinach, tomatoes or frozen peas.

🥗 Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. You’ll also need a few cupboard staples, like salt and pepper. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for lemony chickpea casserole with text overlay.
  • chickpeas. I always use tinned chickpeas in my chickpea recipes, since they are so convenient, and don’t need any pre-cooking or soaking.
  • leek. Leeks are a milder alternative to onions, and they also fare better when not pre-cooked.
  • mushrooms
  • lemon – bottled lemon juice would also be fine.
  • parsley
  • egg
  • milk
  • pumpkin seeds – or, pine nuts would be a great alternative.
  • breadcrumbs
  • parmesan cheese (make sure you find a vegetarian version, as ‘real’ parmesan is made with animal rennet)

Becca’s Top Tip

I find that ripping mushrooms in my hands (rather than chopping them with a knife) works just as well, and saves even more time on prep!

📋 Instructions

Here’s how to make this recipe – see below for the printable recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.

Chickpeas and mushrooms in a mixing bowl.

Step 1: Add almost all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl, and combine thoroughly.

Uncooked chickpea casserole with leeks in a baking dish.

Step 2: Transfer the mixture to a baking dish. You can mix the ingredients straight into the dish if you prefer, but I find it much easier to mix in a bowl!

Uncooked chickpea casserole in a baking dish.

Step 3: Sprinkle the mixture with some breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.

Portion of chickpea casserole in a bowl with lettuce and garlic bread.

Step 4: Bake until crispy, then serve.

💭 Recipe FAQs

Can I cook the chickpea casserole in advance?

If you’d like to prepare the dish in advance, I would recommend assembling it, then storing it in the fridge for a day or so, until you’re ready to cook it. Alternatively, you can cook the dish in its entirety, then reheat later.

Can I reheat any leftovers?

Yes! The casserole reheats nicely in the microwave. If your baking dish isn’t microwave-safe, you’ll need to dish up portions onto plates first.

Can I make a gluten-free chickpea casserole?

Sure – just swap the breadcrumbs for a gluten-free version, or skip them entirely, and just use parmesan in the topping.

Lemony chickpea casserole in a baking dish with a scoop removed.
Portion of chickpea casserole in a bowl with garlic bread and salad.

Lemony Chickpea Casserole

This lemony chickpea casserole is a great mix of hearty comfort food and light, zesty flavours. No pre-cooking required, just mix and bake!

If you’ve cooked this recipe, don’t forget to leave a star rating!

5 from 7 votes
Print Pin Comment
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 289kcal
Author: Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 1 medium leek, sliced (~ 170g / ~ 6 oz)
  • 2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained (480g, or ~ 2 1/2 cups, in total when drained)
  • 4 medium mushrooms, diced
  • 1 egg
  • 125 ml (~ 1/2 cup) milk
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • Few sprigs fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon pumpkin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 40 g (~ 1/4 cup) breadcrumbs
  • 40 g (~ 1/4 cup) finely grated vegetarian parmesan-style cheese

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 180°C (Gas Mark 4 / 350°F).
  • Add all of the ingredients, except for the breadcrumbs and parmesan, to a large mixing bowl. Mix well to combine, especially making sure that the egg is thoroughly mixed through the other ingredients.
  • Transfer the mixture to a suitably sized baking dish (mine measured approximately 8 x 8 inches), and press down to form an even layer. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese over the top.
  • Bake, uncovered, for around 40 minutes, or until the mixture is piping hot and the topping is crispy. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Lemony Chickpea Casserole
Amount Per Serving (1 portion)
Calories 289 Calories from Fat 71
% Daily Value*
Fat 7.9g12%
Saturated Fat 2.8g14%
Cholesterol 51mg17%
Sodium 363mg15%
Potassium 469mg13%
Carbohydrates 40.3g13%
Fiber 8.2g33%
Sugar 8.4g9%
Protein 16.4g33%
Calcium 228mg23%
Iron 5mg28%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

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21 Comments

  1. Are there really only 4 mushrooms in this recipe? That doesn’t seem like very many with 2 cans of chickpeas. Also from the photos it looks like there are more.

    1. Yes I used 4. It might look more in the photos because they’ve already been chopped up. Obviously the exact number will depend on the size of your mushrooms – I’d use more if they’re tiny button ones, and less if they’re big portobellos.

    2. I made this last night and it was very nice. I used 4 medium size mushrooms but needed to add a whole teaspoon of salt. I also added another tablespoon of pumpkin seeds because they make the dish look a bit more interesting.
      Thank you, Becca, I love the simplicity of this recipe, the taste and the smell when it was in the oven!5 stars