Spinach & Tarragon Chickpea Pancakes with Pea & Broad Bean Salad

Chickpea pancakes couldn't be simpler to make – plus as well as being vegan, they're gluten free, which gives them extra brownie points.

I often make this reacipe without the spinach, and you can also tweak the batter to make a larger version to stuff and fold in half – rather like a plant-based version of a classic omelette. It's a very similar recipe, which you can find here.

This is a brilliant option for those of you who have fussy little eaters at home – the kind who won't touch anything green. You can't really taste the spinach, and – especially if you omit the tarragon – I defy them not to gobble these pancakes up!

There's something about eating and drinking green things that makes feel me like I'll be glowing from the inside out, and this dish is no exception.

SERVES:
4

Ingredients
Instructions

Ingredients

For the pancakes

1¼ cups chickpea / gram flour

1 cup water

1 large handful baby spinach leaves

1 tbsp tarragon leaves

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp sea salt

Good grinding of black pepper

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

For the pea and broad bean salad

500g broad beans, podded

250g fresh or frozen peas

4 spring onions, finely sliced

Pinch of salt

Grinding of black pepper

Glug of extra virgin olive oil

Squeeze of lemon juice

For the lemon and herb ‘cheese‘

150g plant-based cream cheese – I use Nush's almond spread

2 tsp tarragon, finely chopped

2 tsp mint, finely chopped

Juice of ½ lemon

Glug of extra virgin olive ooil

Good pinch of salt and black pepper

To serve

Light oil, such as groundnut

Handful of mint leaves

1 lemon, zested

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Instructions

First, make your pancake batter. Add all the ingredients except the apple cider vinegar to a blender, and whizz until smooth and bright green. As soon as spinach is blended, stop the machine. Pour the batter into a jug or bowl and set aside.
Next, make your salad. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the broad beans, and blanch for 1-2 mins. Remove with a slotted spoon into a sieve, and rinse cold water. Place the beans in a bowl and set aside.
Repeat with the peas, blanching for 1-2 mins, draining and rinsing, and setting aside in a large bowl.
Shell your broad beans – I do this by pinching them open at one end and popping out the bean. As you shell them, add them to the bowl with the peas.
Add the remaining salad ingredients to the bowl, stir to combine, and set aside.
Add all the ingredients for the 'cream cheese' to a bowl and stir to fully combine. Set aside.
When you're ready to eat, heat a large non-stick pan over a medium-low heat, and add a splash of oil.
When the oil is hot, add the batter in dollops of roughly 10cm diameter. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edge is starting to curl up. Flip, and cook for another minute.
Repeat with the remaining batter – you can keep the the cooked pancakes in a warm oven until they're all done.
Serve three pancakes per person, topped with a couple of dollops of creamy lemon and herb cheese, a few spoonfuls of pea salad, some mint leaves, a sprinkling of lemon zest, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if you like.