Chickpea and Roasted Vegetable Traybake with Herby Lemon Dressing

Ingredients

• 🫘Chickpeas (dry), soaked and cooked, or use equivalent cooked chickpeas1 cup
• 🥒Zucchini, cut into thick half-moons2
• 🫑Bell Pepper (red), cut into wide strips1
• 🧅Red Onion, cut into wedges1
• 🍅Cherry Tomatoes, left whole2 cup
• 🧄Garlic, finely sliced4 clove
• 🫒Extra Virgin Olive Oil3 tbsp
• 🧂Cumin (ground)1 tsp
• 🌶️Paprika (sweet)1 tsp
• 🌿Dried Oregano1 tsp
• 🍋Lemon, zested and juiced1
• 🌿Flat-Leaf Parsley, finely chopped1 cup
• 🍅Dijon Mustard1 tsp
• 💧Water, to loosen the dressing1 tbsp
• 🧂Sea Salt (fine)to taste
• 🧂Black Pepper (ground)to taste

Contains Garlic, Mustard, Onion. AI-generated, checked against common allergens; always check labels.

Method

1. 1

   Heat the oven

   Set the oven to 220°C/425°F so it has time to become properly hot while you prep; you want a steady blast of heat, not a sluggish start. The oven is ready when it feels fierce as you open the door and the air inside is fully hot, because that first hit helps the vegetables brown instead of sitting and steaming.

   10 min
2. 2

   Cut the vegetables

   Trim the Zucchini and cut them into thick half-moons, cut the Bell Pepper into wide strips, and wedge the Red Onion so the layers stay attached in the oven. Keep the pieces roughly similar in size so they roast at the same pace; if the onion wedges are too thin, they will burn before the centres soften.

   8 min
3. 3

   Slice the Garlic Cloves thinly so they can perfume the tray without scorching into bitterness. Aim for delicate slivers that will turn pale gold and crisp at the edges in the oven; if any pieces are thick, keep them tucked under the vegetables so they do not catch too hard on the tray.

   2 min
4. 4

   Season the tray

   Tip the Chickpeas, cut Zucchini, Bell Pepper, Red Onion, Cherry Tomatoes, and sliced Garlic into a large baking tray, then pour over the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and scatter the Cumin, Paprika, Dried Oregano, Sea Salt, and Black Pepper. Toss everything with clean hands or a spoon until the vegetables are evenly coated and the spices cling in a thin film, with no dry patches left behind; if the tray looks crowded, split it between two trays so the vegetables roast instead of steam.

   4 min
5. 5

   Roast until caramelised

   Slide the large baking tray into the hot oven and roast for about 20 to 25 minutes, turning the vegetables once halfway through with a spatula so the cut sides meet the heat evenly. You are looking for browned edges, soft onion layers, and tomatoes that have burst and gone jammy; if the garlic starts to darken too quickly, tuck it under a piece of zucchini and keep going.

   25 min
6. 6

   Make the dressing

   While the traybake roasts, whisk the Lemon juice, Lemon zest, Flat-Leaf Parsley, Dijon Mustard, Water, and a pinch of Sea Salt and Black Pepper in a mixing bowl until the herbs look evenly suspended and the mixture smells bright and sharp. Add the Water last if you want it looser, and whisk again until the dressing turns glossy and pourable rather than sticky; if it seems too tart, let it sit for a minute so the lemon mellows.

   5 min
7. 7

   Finish and dress

   Pull the tray from the oven and let the vegetables settle for a minute, then spoon them into a serving bowl or leave them on the tray and drizzle over the dressing while everything is still hot. Toss gently so the lemon scent lifts off the bowl and the dressing clings in a thin gloss instead of pooling; if the vegetables look very dry, add a little more dressing and toss once more.

   3 min

Nutrition per serving