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If I need to add flavor to anything from soups to salads, I immediately reach for these chickpea vegan sausage crumbles. I use chickpeas, fennel, and pantry spices to create a sausage-style seasoning and crumbly savory topping without any synthetic meat. It takes just 30 minutes to make, so I always have a jar ready for elevating my meals.
This chickpea vegan sausage crumble recipe does a lot with very little. And while I do enjoy recipes like vegan sausage balls, sometimes I do not always have plant-based sausage in my kitchen. Luckily, I can recreate that distinctive sauce texture and flavor with chickpeas, fennel, and a selection of dried herbs. If you like having flavorful meal prep staples on hand, I highly recommend making this sausage crumble. See how many dishes you can add it to.
The thing I really love about these vegan chickpea sausage crumbles is that they are not trying to be the perfect meat replica, unlike my vegan sausage recipe. They are just a really good, high-protein topping with bold seasoning and a satisfying bite. The first time I made them, my husband kept adding more and more to his salad. The next day, he asked if I could make another batch. I did, and turns out he did not want it to sprinkle over anything; he ate it straight from the jar!
Chickpea vegan sausage crumbles have become my secret weapon in the kitchen. It is my favorite way of adding a quick boost of flavor and protein to a meal without much extra work. Chickpeas make the base filling, while the fennel, dried herbs, and spices lock in that unmistakable savory flavor.
I am never without a jar of chickpea vegan sausage crumble, and a huge reason is because of how quick and easy it is to make. I start by rinsing and drying the chickpeas really well, then rubbing off as many of the skins as I can. After that, I toss the chickpeas with all the herbs and seasoning and crush them into small pieces. I mix in a little oat flour to help absorb moisture and keep the crumbles separate. Once they are spread on the baking sheet, the oven does the rest, crisping the edges just enough so the finished crumbles are flavorful and toasty.
A few months ago, we had friends over for dinner, and I made a selection of homemade pizzas, one of which had a generous helping of sausage crumbles on top. As our one friend ate, we could all see his mind working overtime, and he said it reminded him of something, but he could not figure out what. He was determined to come to it on his own and refused to let any of us tell him. By the end of dinner, he still had not figured it out, but we still kept silent. The next day, he sent my husband a text with just one word, “Sausage!” Ha! If you like versatile toppings that make dinner and lunch a bit more interesting, these crumbles are worth making.
🥘 Ingredients
I only need a handful of pantry ingredients to make chickpea vegan sausage crumble. This is exactly what I use to get that sausage-inspired flavor:
Chickpeas: These are the base of the recipe and provide the hearty texture and plant-based protein.
Fennel seeds: This is what I use to get that sausage flavor, and I never skip it.
Dried herbs: A combination of basil, oregano, and thyme gives my crumbles a well-rounded savory flavor.
Spices: I use lemon pepper, garlic powder, Himalayan pink salt, and crushed red pepper to season the crumble mix and give it a three-dimensional flavor.
Oat flour: This helps absorb moisture and keeps the crumbles from clumping together too much.
🔪 How To Make
Once the chickpeas are dried, the rest of the recipes come together quite quickly. This is exactly how I make my chickpea vegan sausage crumble:
Preheat: First, I preheat the oven to 375F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Dry the chickpeas: Then I rinse the chickpeas and dry them very well with a kitchen towel.
Season everything: I add the dried chickpeas into a bowl with the fennel, basil, oregano, thyme, lemon pepper, garlic powder, salt, and crushed red pepper.
Crush into crumbles: Using a potato masher, or my hands, I crush the chickpeas until they break into small crumbles.
Add the oat flour: I sprinkle in the oat flour and mix everything well, making sure the crumbles are coated.
Bake until lightly crisp: Then I spread the mixture onto the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until the outside is just starting to get crisp. Once they cool slightly, they are ready to be used as a topping.
My #1 Secret Tip for this chickpea vegan sausage crumbles recipe is to dry the chickpeas thoroughly and remove as many skins as possible before crushing. If they are still damp, the seasoning will not cling as well, and the mixture is more likely to steam in the oven instead of crisping. I also try to remove all the skins to ensure they crush nicely and do not have a slightly bitter taste.
Other Tips To Keep In Mind:
- Do not mash too much: I want crumbles, not hummus, so I stop once the chickpeas are broken into small pieces with some texture.
- Crush the fennel seeds: I always crush the fennel seeds a bit first, so their flavor spreads more evenly through the crumbles.
- Spread them out: If the crumbles are piled too close together on the baking sheet, they will soften instead of crisping.
- Taste for salt: If I know I am sprinkling them over something lightly seasoned, like salad, I use a higher amount of salt. But if the final dish is already salty like pizza, I scale it back.
- Reheat to refresh: These are best fresh, but a few minutes in the oven or skillet brings back some of that crisp texture if you are using leftovers.
📖 Variations
Chickpea vegan sausage crumbles are easy to tweak and customize to suit the dish you plan on using them in. These are some of my favorite variations:
Italian style: I add a pinch of smoked paprika, extra garlic powder, and dried Italian herbs to make a crumble that tastes amazing over vegan pasta primavera. My kids actually love it over every single pasta dish I have ever made.
Savory breakfast crumble: I bump up the amount by an additional teaspoon and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and serve it with healthy sweet potato breakfast hash. These are also great on top of savory muffins just before they get baked.
Smoky version: A little smoked paprika and 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle powder give the crumbles a more intense flavor. I love adding these to a vegan taco bowl.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
If you are unsure of where to start with these chickpea vegan sausage crumbles, try them on top of a rustic pizza, and enjoy the combination of sweet caramelized onions against the savory crumble. You could also add them to the next wrap you make for a packed lunch. Personally, I love the crumbles on a vegan hummus avocado wrap.
In summer, I always add these vegan crumbles to my apple walnut salad, whereas in winter, there is rarely a bowl of vegan tomato soup that does not get overloaded with crumbles. Recently, my kids have been adding a thick layer of crumbles to wraps along with cucumber tomato avocado salad, and a drizzle of vegan taco sauce.
🧊 Storing And ♨️ Reheating
Refrigeration: I store the crumbles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Freezing: I do not recommend freezing this crumble as the thawed chickpeas become chewy or soggy.
Reheating: To bring back the texture, I warm the crumble mixture in a skillet without oil, or spread it on a baking sheet and place it in the oven for a few minutes.
❓Recipe FAQs
Yes, but the oat flour does help absorb extra moisture from the chickpeas and keeps the crumble more separate. If you need a substitute, you can try almond flour or chickpea flour. I would start with the same amount as in the recipe, and only add more if the mixture still feels damp. The crumbles may be a little softer without it, but they still work.
Fennel is what gives the crumbles their classic flavor, so if you can use it, I really recommend keeping it in. But if you need a substitute, the closest option is anise seed, but make sure to use less as it tastes stronger. If you prefer not to use either of those, I suggest adding extra dried herbs instead. It will taste more like a herby chickpea topping than sausage.
Before it goes into the oven, the mixture should look crumbly and slightly shaggy with lots of small uneven chickpea pieces. I like the chickpeas broken down enough to hold onto the spices, but not so much that they turn into a paste. Some pieces can be a little chunkier than others, which is good. Once I have mixed in the oat flour, the crumbles should feel lightly coated and no longer wet on the surface.
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Chickpea Vegan Sausage Crumbles
If I need to add flavor to anything from soups to salads, I immediately reach for these chickpea vegan sausage crumbles. I use chickpeas, fennel, and pantry spices to create a sausage-style seasoning and crumbly savory topping without any synthetic meat. It takes just 30 minutes to make, so I always have a jar ready for elevating my meals.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 120kcal
- My #1 Secret Tip for this chickpea vegan sausage crumbles recipe is to dry the chickpeas thoroughly and remove as many skins as possible before crushing. If they are still damp, the seasoning will not cling as well, and the mixture is more likely to steam in the oven instead of crisping. I also try to remove all the skins to ensure they crush nicely and do not have a slightly bitter taste.
- Do not mash too much: I want crumbles, not hummus, so I stop once the chickpeas are broken into small pieces with some texture.
- Crush the fennel seeds: I always crush the fennel seeds a bit first, so their flavor spreads more evenly through the crumbles.
- Spread them out: If the crumbles are piled too close together on the baking sheet, they will soften instead of crisping.
- Taste for salt: If I know I am sprinkling them over something lightly seasoned, like salad, I use a higher amount of salt. But if the final dish is already salty like pizza, I scale it back.
- Reheat to refresh: These are best fresh, but a few minutes in the oven or skillet brings back some of that crisp texture if you are using leftovers.
Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 411mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1.7mg