Roasted aubergine, courgette & spiced chickpea traybake with lemon‑tahini drizzle
Hearty, smoky roasted vegetables and crisp chickpeas finished with a zippy tahini‑lemon sauce — perfect for Veganuary weeknights.
This traybake is everything Veganuary needs: minimal fuss, big on flavour and utterly plant‑powered. Smoky aubergine and courgette roast alongside spiced chickpeas, then get a silky lemon‑tahini finish that makes the veg sing.
It’s brilliant for weeknights (one tray, oven does the work) and scales well for friends — serve with flatbread, rice or a crisp salad for a full meal.
Ingredients
- 1 aubergine — about 400 g
- 2 courgette — about 300 g
- 1 red pepper — about 150 g
- 1 brown onion — medium
- 3 garlic cloves — finely sliced or crushed
- 480 g tinned chickpeas — drained weight (approx. two 400 g tins drained)
- 200 g chestnut mushrooms
- 45 ml olive oil
- 10 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml chilli flakes — reduce or omit for no heat
- 5 ml sea salt
- black pepper — to taste
- 80 g tahini
- 45 ml lemon juice — about 1 large lemon
- 60 ml warm water — to loosen tahini
- 15 ml maple syrup — 1 tbsp
- 15 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped
- 15 ml toasted sesame seeds — optional, for garnish
Equipment
- baking tray
- mixing bowl
- small bowl for sauce
- whisk
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Cut the aubergine into 2 cm chunks, slice the courgettes into 1 cm rounds, core and chop the red pepper, slice the brown onion and halve the chestnut mushrooms. Put all the vegetables into a large mixing bowl.
Add the drained tinned chickpeas, olive oil, smoked paprika, ground cumin, chilli flakes, sea salt and black pepper to the bowl. Toss thoroughly so everything is evenly coated.
Spread the vegetables and chickpeas in a single layer on the baking tray—do not overcrowd, or they will steam rather than roast. Roast for 35 minutes, turning once halfway so the chickpeas crisp and the aubergine chars slightly.
While the traybake roasts, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, warm water, maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt in a small bowl until smooth. Add more warm water a teaspoon at a time if it’s too thick — the consistency should be pourable.
When vegetables are done, leave the tray to rest for 5 minutes, then transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle over the lemon‑tahini sauce, scatter fresh coriander and toasted sesame seeds, and finish with a twist of black pepper.
Serve warm with a wedge of lemon and flatbreads or steamed rice if you like. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat in the oven to keep chickpeas crisp.
Tips
- For extra char, switch the oven to grill for the final 2–3 minutes — watch it closely so nothing burns.
- If your tahini is very thick, warm it briefly in a bowl set over hot water before whisking to avoid lumps.
- To make ahead: roast everything, cool, then store sauce separately. Reheat the tray in a 180°C fan/200°C conventional oven for 8–10 minutes before dressing.
- If chickpeas are soggy, pat them dry thoroughly on kitchen paper before tossing with oil to aid crisping.
- Leftovers freeze well (without the coriander); defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven for best texture.
Substitutions
tinned chickpeas → cooked dried chickpeas (use 250 g cooked weight)
Stays closetahini → smooth peanut butter (same weight), add 1 tsp soy sauce
Noticeably differentfresh coriander → fresh parsley, same quantity
Stays closesmoked paprika → sweet paprika plus 1/4 tsp ground cayenne
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 540
- Calories
- 19 g
- Protein
- 55 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 420 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this nut‑free?
Yes — the recipe contains no nuts as written. If you replace tahini with a nut substitute, choose a seed or seed butter to keep it nut‑free.
How do I get really crispy chickpeas?
Pat the drained chickpeas very dry on kitchen paper, toss with a little extra oil and roast on a hot tray without overcrowding. Turning halfway helps all sides brown.
Can I roast this under a grill instead?
You can use the grill for quick charring at the end, but the bulk of the cooking should be in the oven so aubergine cooks through without burning.
Is tahini essential?
Tahini gives the dish its creamy, nutty tang. You can use smooth sunflower‑seed butter in a pinch, but the flavour will change noticeably.
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