My Mom’s recipe (yeah, another one!). She made these for me all through my childhood, and though they earned me some strange looks on the playground, I loved them nonetheless. This recipe works well with any dried, whole bean or legume. Try whole lentils, green peas, chickpeas, soy beans, etc!

3 cups dried, whole beans or legumes
water for cooking
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 stalks celery, cut into halves, width-wise
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
spices to taste

If you’re using beans, soak them overnight. Drain, rinse, and cook in fresh water with the onion and celery. If you’re using lentils or green peas, don’t bother soaking overnight, just cook in pure water with the onion and celery.

Cooking times vary depending on the bean or legume used. Keep your eye on them. You want them to be tender enough you can bite through them easily, but NOT MUSHY!

When the beans are tender, drain them and toss them with the olive oil on a cookie sheet. Preheat your oven to 200 F and slow-roast them for 4-8 hours, tossing frequently. Test them every couple of hours to see if they are crunchy enough.

When they are nice and crunchy, remove from the oven and toss in the spices of your choice. Salt and curry powder seem to be the favourite around here.

Store in an airtight container for up to one week, or a month, if you keep them in the fridge.