Mediterranean Chickpea Pita Pockets

Soft pita halves filled with bright, lemony mashed chickpeas, crisp cucumber, sweet cherry tomatoes, and a smooth tahini drizzle. The chickpeas get a quick mash with olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic for a creamy-but-chunky texture that holds together in the pocket. Pack the components separately if your kid likes to build their own, or tuck everything in before you hand it over. It's cool enough to eat straight from the fridge or gently warmed for a minute in the toaster oven.

By TasteBuds

Recipe details

Yield
4 people
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
5 minutes
Total time
20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 (15 oz) cans Canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 3 tbsp Olive oil
  • 3 tbsp Lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 1 large lemon)
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp Ground cumin
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp Black pepper, freshly ground
  • 4 large rounds Whole-wheat pita bread (about 6 inches across)
  • 1 medium English cucumber, diced (about 1½ cups diced)
  • 1 cup Cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¼ cup Tahini (check label for shared-facility warnings)
  • 2 tbsp Water (for thinning tahini)
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice (for tahini sauce)

Instructions

  1. Mince 2 cloves garlic.
  2. Squeeze 3 tbsp lemon juice from about 1 large lemon.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed, 3 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper.
  4. Mash the chickpea mixture with a fork or potato masher until about half the chickpeas are broken down and the mixture is creamy but still has some whole beans and chunky texture. Taste and add more salt or lemon if you like.
  5. Dice 1 medium English cucumber into small cubes (about 1½ cups).
  6. Halve 1 cup cherry tomatoes.
  7. In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup tahini, 2 tbsp water, and 1 tbsp lemon juice until smooth and pourable. Add a splash more water if it's too thick.
  8. Halve 4 large pita rounds to make 8 pockets. Gently open each pocket.
  9. Spoon about ¼ cup of the mashed chickpea mixture into each pita pocket, then add a handful of diced cucumber and a handful of halved cherry tomatoes. Drizzle tahini sauce over the filling.