015 / 75 · Breakfasts with Staying Power

Chickpea Breakfast Pitas with Beetroot Yogurt

2 meals: 2 filled pita halves each, plus half of all remaining beetroot yogurt and carrot-walnut slaw · Active 25 min · Cook 10 min · Total 30 min

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Warm cumin chickpeas meet vivid beetroot yogurt and a crisp carrot-walnut slaw in whole-wheat pitas. Part of the dip and slaw stays beside the bread, so the pockets remain manageable rather than bursting at the seam. This makes two generous breakfasts, with the hot and cold parts easy to prepare separately.

Jump to ingredients

Chickpea-filled pita halves with pink beetroot yogurt, carrot-walnut slaw and the remaining dip alongside.

Make the pink spread thick enough to stay put

Use plain cooked beetroot, without vinegar, added sugar or a ready-made dressing. Drain it before weighing, then blend it with the thick Greek yogurt, half the lemon juice, half the dill and half the salt. The result should sit on a spoon rather than run like a drink. A small blender or immersion blender in a narrow jug works well. If chopping by hand, mince the beetroot very finely and mash it into the yogurt; the spread will be speckled rather than smooth. Protect a pale work surface from the beet juices.

Let the chickpeas do the binding

Drain, rinse and dry the chickpeas before warming them in the oil and cumin. Press roughly half with a fork after they are warm. The mixture then has both a soft part that stays in the bread and whole chickpeas for texture. It does not need an extra unmeasured sauce. Warm the pita only briefly in a dry skillet so it bends without becoming brittle. Open each cut half carefully with your fingers rather than forcing in the point of a knife and piercing the outer wall.

A plate can hold what a pocket cannot

Divide the chickpeas between all four pita halves. Add a modest smear of pink yogurt and a little slaw, then share the rest of the yogurt and slaw between the two plates. This is deliberate serving guidance, not a suggestion to throw away the surplus. All of those components are included in the estimate. For an early trip out, pack the cool components separately and assemble when eating so the pita does not soften during the journey. Keeping the walnut slaw separate also preserves its crunch. The batch is two meals; changing the number of pitas changes that portion basis.

Ingredients

  • 2 whole-wheat pitas, about 6 inches/15 cm across (120 g total)
  • 7 oz canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried (200 g)
  • About 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon plain nonfat Greek yogurt (200 g)
  • 3 1/2 oz plain cooked beetroot, drained and weighed (100 g)
  • 1 medium carrot, trimmed and grated (100 g)
  • A small handful walnuts, chopped (20 g)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml/13.5 g), divided
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (30 ml/30 g), divided
  • A small handful fresh dill, chopped (6 g), divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (1 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g), divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (0.5 g)

Set out

Kitchen scale, knife, board and box grater, 10-inch/25 cm skillet and spatula, Compact blender or immersion blender with tall jug, Two mixing bowls and a clean covered bowl for warmed chickpeas, Fork

Allergens

Wheat, Milk, Tree nuts (walnut), Some pita breads contain sesame; check the actual bread and other package labels.. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Blend the drained plain cooked beetroot with all the yogurt, 1 tablespoon/15 ml lemon juice, half the dill and half the salt until thick and smooth. Cover and keep cold. The recipe begins with cooked beetroot; cooking it from raw is not included in the 30-minute total.
  2. Toss the grated carrot and chopped walnuts with the remaining 1 tablespoon/15 ml lemon juice, 1 teaspoon/5 ml oil, remaining dill and black pepper. Set aside while warming the chickpeas.
  3. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons/10 ml oil in a 10-inch/25 cm skillet over medium heat. Add the chickpeas, cumin and remaining salt. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until steaming hot. Transfer to a clean covered bowl and roughly mash half of them with a fork.
  4. Wipe the skillet and warm each pita over medium-low heat for about 30 seconds per side, just until pliable. Cut each in half and gently open the pockets. Divide all the chickpeas equally among the four halves, about 50 g chickpeas per half.
  5. Put about 2 tablespoons/30 g beetroot yogurt and a small spoonful of slaw into each half without forcing the seam open. Serve two halves per person, sharing all the remaining beetroot yogurt and slaw equally beside the bread. Both the filled pita and its side portions belong to the serving.

Pack the parts, not a soggy sandwich

For a breakfast taken along to work or training, carry chickpeas, spread and slaw in separate cold containers with the bread protected from moisture. Assemble when ready to eat and divide the whole batch into the stated two meals.

A useful detail

Use plain cooked, boiled-and-drained beetroot for the base and estimate, not pickled beetroot. The whole batch of yogurt and slaw is served between two people; the pocket alone is not the complete nutrition portion.

Another way

  • Replace 20 g walnuts with 20 g sunflower seeds, checking packaging for allergens and cross-contact.
  • Replace the 100 g cooked beetroot with 100 g cooked, drained carrot for an orange yogurt spread; the flavor and estimate will change.

Keep it well

Keep components separate at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 2 days, within the beetroot's original storage clock and any shorter yogurt opening guidance. Cool cooked chickpeas promptly in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Assemble at eating time. If reheating saved chickpeas, bring them to 165°F/74°C throughout before filling; keep the yogurt cold. Carry chilled components in an insulated bag with two cold sources.