Chickpea and Herb Vegetarian Kebabs
Spiced chickpea koftas threaded with charred veg, grilled until golden and served with a tangy tahini-yoghurt sauce.
These chickpea and herb kebabs are a brilliant vegetarian swap for a barbecue or midweek grill. They’re chewy, herby and spiced just enough to sing without stealing the show from charred veg.
Make them ahead, chill the mixture so it holds on the skewers, then grill quickly for lovely char and a soft, moist interior. Serve with a lemony tahini-yoghurt for cutting through the richness.
Ingredients
- 400 g tinned chickpeas — drained weight
- 1 brown onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 15 g fresh coriander
- 15 g fresh parsley
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml ground coriander
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 30 g plain flour
- 1 free-range egg
- 40 g fine breadcrumbs
- 1 lemon — zest and juice
- 30 ml olive oil
- 5 ml salt
- 5 ml black pepper
- 1 courgette — cut into 1cm slices
- 1 red pepper — cut into 3–4 large chunks
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — halved if large
- 150 g natural yoghurt
- 30 g tahini
- 30 ml water — to loosen sauce
Equipment
- wooden or metal skewers
- food processor (optional)
- baking tray
Instructions
Place wooden skewers in a shallow dish of cold water to soak for 30 minutes so they don’t burn under the grill.
Roughly chop the brown onion and add to a food processor with half the garlic cloves. Pulse to a very fine dice. Add the tinned chickpeas, fresh coriander, fresh parsley, ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, plain flour, free-range egg, fine breadcrumbs, the zest and juice of half the lemon, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and black pepper. Pulse until the mixture holds together when pressed — you want a coarse, slightly textured paste, not a totally smooth purée. If you don't have a food processor, finely grate the onion and garlic and mash the chickpeas with a fork or potato masher, then mix in the remaining ingredients by hand.
Cover the bowl and chill the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up — this makes it much easier to shape onto skewers.
Meanwhile, slice the courgette into 1cm rounds, roughly chop the red pepper into large pieces and halve any large chestnut mushrooms. Toss the veg in the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Divide the chilled chickpea mix into 8 equal portions. With damp hands, shape each portion into a sausage about 10cm long and press gently onto a skewer. Thread courgette, red pepper and mushrooms between two koftas on each skewer or alternate veg and kofta pieces as you prefer.
Set your oven grill to high (about 220°C) and position a baking tray under the grill to catch any drips. Arrange the skewers on the tray and grill for 12 minutes, turning every 3–4 minutes, until the kebabs are golden, slightly charred and heated through.
While the kebabs cook, whisk together natural yoghurt, tahini, the juice of the remaining half lemon, the remaining garlic clove (crushed), water and a pinch of salt and black pepper until smooth. Adjust texture with extra water if needed.
Remove the skewers from the grill and rest for 2 minutes. Serve the kebabs hot with the tahini-yoghurt sauce and a wedge of lemon.
Tips
- Chill the mixture for the full 30 minutes — it's the single best trick to keep koftas stuck to skewers.
- If you don’t have a food processor, finely grate the onion, crush the garlic and mash the chickpeas with a potato masher; the texture should be coarse, not smooth.
- Soak wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes to stop them burning; metal skewers don’t need soaking.
- Make the mix a day ahead and form onto skewers just before grilling for easier prep and better flavour.
- Leftover kebabs keep in the fridge for 2 days; reheat under the grill for 5–7 minutes to refresh the char.
Substitutions
tinned chickpeas → cooked dried chickpeas, using 240 g drained
Stays closefree-range egg → 2 tbsp natural yoghurt or 1 tbsp water mixed with 1 tsp plain flour (for vegan option use aquafaba instead)
Noticeably differentfine breadcrumbs → ground oats (40 g) or gluten-free breadcrumbs
Stays closetahini → natural nut butter (peanut or almond), same weight
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 410
- Calories
- 14 g
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 520 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make these kebabs vegan?
Yes — replace the free-range egg with 2 tbsp natural yoghurt or 1 tbsp plain flour mixed with water. For fully vegan, use aquafaba (whisked chickpea water) or a commercial binder; flavour will be slightly different.
Why did my kebabs fall apart on the skewer?
Most often the mixture was too wet or not chilled. Firm up with more breadcrumbs or a short chill in the fridge. Press mixture firmly around the skewer when shaping.
Can I cook these on a barbecue instead of under the grill?
Yes — cook over a medium heat, turning every 3–4 minutes, and keep an eye on flare-ups. Soaked wooden skewers are fine but metal skewers are even better on a barbecue.
How do I make the flavour bolder?
Increase ground cumin and smoked paprika by ½ tsp each, add a pinch of cayenne, or fold in a teaspoon of harissa for heat.
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