Roasted Chickpea & Cauliflower Pitas with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

These pitas are piled high with roasted veggies for a satisfying vegetarian dinner. Be sure to dry the chickpeas well or they won’t crisp up in the oven. Wet chickpeas will also create steam that may prevent the cauliflower from getting nicely browned. Bibb lettuce works well with these pitas, but a handful of arugula leaves would be just as nice. If you have it, a garam masala or shawarma spice blend can be used in place of the spices.

Prep/Cook Time: 45 Minutes, Servings: 4

Ingredients

• ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
• ½ cup cider vinegar
• ¼ cup water plus 3-5 tablespoons, divided
• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• 1¼ teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 medium head cauliflower, broken into bite-size florets (about 8 cups)
• 1 15-ounce can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ cup whole-milk plain Greek-style yogurt
• ½ cup packed tender herbs, such as dill, mint or parsley, plus more for garnish
• ⅓ cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes with herbs, drained
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon harissa paste
• 4 6-inch whole-wheat pita rounds
• 8 leaves Bibb lettuce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place onion in a medium heatproof bowl. Combine vinegar, 1/4 cup water, maple syrup and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Pour over the onion; set aside to pickle for 30 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, toss cauliflower, chickpeas, oil, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon salt together on a large rimmed baking sheet; spread in an even layer. Roast, stirring once, until the cauliflower is tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
3. Combine yogurt, herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, tahini, lemon juice, harissa and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor or blender; process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides as needed. With the motor running, drizzle in the remaining 3 to 5 tablespoons water until the desired consistency is reached.
4. Drizzle 1/2 cup of the yogurt mixture over the roasted cauliflower and chickpeas; toss to coat evenly.
5. To assemble, spread the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt mixture over pitas. Top with lettuce leaves. Spoon the cauliflower mixture over the lettuce (about 1 1/2 cups each). Drain the onions; divide among the pitas. Garnish with additional torn herbs, if desired.

© Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission.