These Caesar chickpea pitta pockets from Elly Smart’s cookbook Elly’s Plate are a quick, plant-based lunch or dinner idea. The recipe uses crispy roasted chickpeas, which deliver the same crunch as croutons while adding a plant protein boost. They’re paired with a creamy vegan Caesar dressing, fresh lettuce, and diced tomato for a delicious twist on the classic Caesar salad in a pitta bread.

To make the chickpeas, roast them in the oven or air fryer with olive oil, oregano, and a touch of salt and pepper until they’re golden and crispy. Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing, which features vegan mayo, Worcestershire sauce, nutritional yeast, capers, and garlic for bold flavor.

Once everything is ready, stuff the warm pitta pockets with lettuce, tomato, crispy chickpeas, and a drizzle of Caesar dressing. These pockets are perfect for a quick meal or even as a portable lunch. It’s a simple, flavorful, and entirely vegan meal worth trying.

Caesar chickpea pitta pockets

Making your own vegan Caesar dressing is super easy, This recipe offers a tasty variation that includes cornichons or cocktail pickles. Plus, these pitta pockets can be made in under 20 minutes.

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Duration17

Cook Time12

Prep Time5

Servings

Ingredients

400 g can chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 tbsp olive oil plus extra for greasing
1 tsp dried oregano
2 pitta breads
1 Little Gem lettuce roughly chopped
1 medium tomato diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing

3 tbsp vegan mayo
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 cornichons finely chopped
1 tbsp capers finely chopped
1 garlic clove minced

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 210°C (190°C fan/410°F/Gas 6–7) and line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Alternatively, preheat your air fryer to 190°C (375°F) and spray or drizzle the basket with oil.
If your chickpeas are still wet, pat them dry using kitchen paper. In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas with olive oil, oregano and some salt and pepper then tip them onto your lined baking sheet or into your air fryer basket. Bake for 12 minutes in the oven or 8 minutes in the air fryer, stirring them halfway through, until golden and starting to crisp.
For the dressing, simply mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Toast the pittas then slice along the long edge of each one to open them up. Into each pitta pocket drizzle some dressing, add half the lettuce and tomato, then top with half the chickpeas and drizzle with more dressing before tucking in.