Smashed Chickpea Pitas are a delicious, filling lunch or snack. Topped with protein-filled Greek yogurt, crispy cucumber, fresh herbs, feta, and za'atar seasoning, these are an amazing Middle Eastern treat!
Easy lunch with za'atar seasoning
I recently got acquainted with the Middle Eastern spice mix called Za'atar and I am pretty much obsessed with it. Just like that Frank's Hot Sauce commercial goes: I put that S&$% on everything!
Well, in reality I mostly put it on toast, potatoes (it's amaaazing on these crispy za'atar potatoes!), and chicken. And I keep playing around with other recipes, such as these pitas with smashed chickpeas.
Za'atar is a mix of herbs and spices made primarily from dried hyssop leaves, dried sumac, sesame seeds, and a mix of other spices and herbs. (Don't ask me what hyssop leaves are. Unfortunately I have never come across this plant yet.) Every middle-eastern region has their own variation of za'atar, hence the "other spices and herbs" that I mention above. The za'atar mix I have is from Amazon - this one here. It had great reviews and it did not disappoint.
Related recipe: Veggie-loaded breakfast flatbread
I wanted to share with you my recipe for Smashed Chickpea Pita. I've been making this as a quick lunch pretty often since Elliot was born. You can't beat a quick, healthy, filling lunch that can be put together in 2 minutes and is good even if you have to eat it over a couple of hours because your baby won't let you eat a whole meal in one sitting. I can't be the only one with this problem, right??
These yummy pitas are topped with Greek yogurt, sliced cucumber, smashed chickpeas, crumbled feta cheese, parsley leaves, and za'atar. It's such a wonderful flavor and texture combination that it is very addicting.
Related recipe: Fig and goat cheese flatbread
Smashed chickpeas
Let me tell you why smashed chickpeas are the best flatbread hack ever. If you smash the chickpeas a little, they stick onto the Greek yogurt much better. It's that simple.
You can create your own combinations of toppings for these pitas if you want, on top of the smashed chickpeas. Here are some other toppings that regularly make it onto my pitas:
- pickled onions
- sriracha
- fresh basil
- shredded chicken
- canned tuna
More middle-eastern inspired recipes to try:
- Couscous tabbouleh salad
- White bean shakshuka with feta
- Lentil Tabbouleh Salad
- Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
- Moroccan lentil vegetable soup
- Green shakshuka
- Mediterranean couscous bowls with tuna
- Mediterranean pita nachos
Smashed Chickpea Pitas with Za’atar
Ingredients
- 4 pitas - (regular or whole-wheat)
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt - (or more to taste)
- ~20 slices cucumber - (from 1 medium cucumber)
- Salt & pepper - , to taste
- 1 cup chickpeas - , smashed in a bowl with a fork or a [mojito muddlerhttps://amzn.to/2JNXrgA]
- 4 oz crumbled feta cheese - (or more to taste)
- 4 teaspoons za'atar seasoning
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Lightly toast the pitas, if you prefer, either on the lowest setting in your toaster oven or at 400F for 2-3 minutes. You can skip this step if you do not want to toast the pitas.
- Layer all the ingredients onto the pitas: Spread ~2-3 tablespoons Greek yogurt onto each pita. Top each pita with ~5 cucumber slices. Season with salt & pepper, if desired. Add a 1/4 cup smashed chickpeas, 1-1.5 oz feta cheese to each pita. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon za'atar and fresh parsley leaves. Serve immediately: eat the pitas whole or slice into quarters.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.
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