Vegan chickpea schnitzel

One of my favourite dishes growing up was schnitzel or cotoletta (its Italian equivalent). I experimented a lot in the kitchen to come up with an easy vegan version – as satisfying as the meaty one. My secret is using chickpeas in all its form…read up more below and get cooking.

Wiener Schnitzel, a very thin, fried, breaded cutlet made of veal, is a very typical Austrian dish – despite most of us think it was originated in Germany. It is served with lemon, potato salad, and a generous spoon of cranberry jam. This dish is so iconic that it is a protected geographical indication in Austria and Germany.

Some people say this dish was invented by ancient Romans, other says its origins lay in the Jewish cuisine. While the origins of this dish are uncertain, its appeal is worldwide. Every country has its own variant, with breaded chicken winning the gold medal.

For example, Northern Italy was under the Austrian empire for 51 years, and we also have our own version called cotoletta. This dish is the symbol of Milan and arguably it is exactly the same as its Viennese counterpart.

As a child I loved it! My grandma and mum used to make it on the weekends. When going to university, a food truck was selling a panino with schnitzel and fried red peppers and onions. It was one of the best things ever.

I normally stand away from veganised meaty dishes as I think fully vegan and vegetarian dishes have already so much to offer. However, I saw online an Italian recipe for a vegan cotoletta and I soon had to try it. The recipe didn’t work for me the batter was way too sticky so I decided to experiment and came up with my own version.

The secret? Using chickpeas in all their forms. This means I use chickpea flour, cooked chickpeas and aquafaba. In other words, if you don’t like chickpeas, you better stop reading now.

The results were so outstanding that this is now a staple recipe and I am so excited to share it with you.

This recipe has two very personal meanings.

First of all, there are no limits when you experiment in the kitchen and try out new ingredients. Be brave and make this recipe your own. What about adding herbs to the batter? What about frying them rather than baking them?

Secondly, this recipe is my humble tribute to the amazing Austria. Earlier this month I have visited the Voralberg region to celebrate the wedding of my dear friends Claudia and Thomas. They went above and beyond to make me feel included and there was so much love in the air. I had a blast and experienced one of the best days of my life. I was lucky enough to also meet their new cat Bobo and visit their home which is totally part of the set of Sound of Music. Long story short, I love Austria and Austrians. They gifted the world with the most incredible music, from Mozart to Betoven, iconic dishes, such as Sacher torte, strudel, schnitzel and schnapps, and of course two wonderful humans, Claudia and Thomas.

I hope you’ll travel with me to Austria with this vegan dish inspired by the traditional Wien Schnitzel.

Get a cold beer out and let’s eat. Prost!