Nashville Hot Ranch Chickpeas (High Protein) Recipe
Nashville Hot Ranch Chickpeas combine creamy, spicy hot sauce with protein-rich chickpeas for a flavorful and quick meal. This recipe features a high-protein Nashville hot sauce made by blending cottage cheese, milk, and bold spices, served warm with chickpeas. It’s perfect as a hearty snack or a sandwich filling with crunchy slaw and pickles.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: High Protein
Ingredients
For the High Protein Nashville Hot Sauce
- 2 cups cottage cheese (450 g)
- ½ cup milk (120 mL)
- 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper (reduce to 1 tsp if preferred milder)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp ranch seasoning mix
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Main Ingredient
- 2 cans chickpeas, drained (2 x 15-oz/425 g cans)
Instructions
- Prep: Add all ingredients for the hot sauce except the chickpeas into a food processor. This includes cottage cheese, milk, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, ranch seasoning mix, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt.
- Blend: Blend the mixture until it becomes smooth and creamy, ensuring the cottage cheese is fully processed to avoid graininess.
- Cook: Pour the blended sauce into a large sauté pan or medium pot. Add the drained chickpeas and gently warm them over low heat. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring often until the chickpeas are hot and the flavors meld together.
- Serve: Serve the Nashville Hot Ranch Chickpeas warm, accompanied by pickles and white bread, or use as a flavorful filling for a sandwich with crunchy slaw.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat using the microwave or stovetop.
- If it’s too spicy: Reduce cayenne and chili powder by half to tone down the heat.
- If your sauce is grainy: Continue blending the cottage cheese longer or gently warm it before blending. Adding a bit more milk can help smooth it out. Heat usually reduces graininess further.
