Chickpea recipes are the best way to turn your garbanzo beans, often known as chickpeas, into wholesome, inexpensive, and protein-rich dinners for the entire family. Chickpea dishes are not only straightforward, healthy, generally vegan (or vegetarian), and full of plant-based protein.
Every event can be celebrated with a delicious chickpea dish, such as creamy soups, chickpea-based curries, vibrant salads, snacks, burgers, and wraps. Because of their flavor, texture, usability, and protein content, these versatile beans should be a staple in any cupboard.
What are Chickpeas?
Chickpeas are used in various foods, from falafel and salads to hummus and chana masala. You can eat chickpeas Correctly out of the can, purée them, stew them, or dry them out and grind them into flour. Before cooking, dried chickpeas need to be soaked and occasionally peeled.
Varieties
Although chickpeas come in various colors, including green, black, brown, and even red, the large, smooth, thin-skinned beige Kabuli variety is the most often available in American grocery shops. Smaller desi chickpeas have a darker, coarser exterior and yellow interior flesh.
What do Chickpeas Taste like?
Chickpeas’ pleasantly nutty flavor and buttery texture provide a versatile foundation for various additional flavors or supplementary ingredients. The smooth blending of chickpeas makes them an excellent foundation for dairy-free creamy dips like hummus and vegan spinach dip.
Here are Some Best Chickpea Recipes
Hummus Recipe
Like a pro, make hummus! I will provide you with the simple hummus recipe my family loves and professional advice. Watch the video as well, remember. A mezze is incomplete without a serving of hummus and some warm pita.
Everyone is familiar with hummus. I grew up eating it, believing it to be some of the best food ever! But there are a ton of ways to savor this delicious dip! Tahini, garlic, and lemon are combined with chickpeas to create the classic Middle Eastern dip. Delicious, creamy, and loaded with plant-based protein.
Chickpea Salad
What tastier, simpler way to consume chickpeas than in this salad? Despite being substantial enough to serve as a full dinner, it is a great side dish. If you pack a bowl of chickpea salad for lunch, you’ll look forward to your break all day. The protein in chickpeas will keep you full until dinner.
You should forget about boring salads and welcome this one instead! Eating tasty chickpea salad can give you the power boost you need to get through the day. If you store prepared food in your refrigerator, you won’t ever need to hurry for a last-minute lunch again. This straightforward salad recipe provides a tasty lunch or side dish for just much any dinner.
Include some protein, such as grilled chicken breasts, to make it a substantial dinner! Chickpeas are also known as garbanzo beans. This dish uses canned chickpeas to save time. Make sure to rinse them to remove any extra salt. If you use dry chickpeas, you should probably add some extra salt to the recipe. Another choice is dried chickpeas (cook them before adding them to the salad).
Chickpea Pasta Salad
A simple vegetarian pasta salad dish, this chickpea pasta salad uses whole wheat pasta. Both chickpeas and whole-grain pasta are nutrient-rich sources of slow-burning carbohydrates. Enjoy this exciting combination in this delicious chickpea salad.
Chickpeas, sliced red onion, a ton of juicy, fresh cherry tomatoes, crunchy bell pepper, and feta cheese are added to this delicious dish, which is also packed with healthy nutrients. Feta cheese is always a nice idea, and this pasta salad was ideal.
Chickpea Shawarma Sandwich
Instead of eating a dry midday meat sandwich, try this chickpea shawarma sandwich. It still has all your favorite flavors from chicken shawarma without the meat! With a variety of spices, turn chickpeas into these flavorful patties. This sandwich has several great tastes, including cilantro, spice, and turmeric. On a chilly day, this toasty sandwich is comforting. Prepare these patties for the entire family on a plate!
A traditional Levantine Arab cuisine known as shawarma consists of meat (lamb, chicken, turkey, cattle, or mixed meats) that has been spiced, roasted slowly, and arranged vertically on a spit. It is frequently served thinly sliced with tabbouleh, fattoush salad, bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, and various sauces.
Although it is thought of as a Turkish dish by origin, it is relished in various forms throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean region. (source)
Roasted Chickpeas
The ideal ready-to-eat snack is roasted chickpeas. Any spice you can think of can be used to season roasted chickpeas, which have a nutty flavor. The choices are unlimited, from a sweetened BBQ tang to a strong sriracha spice! These crispy treats will appeal to even the youngest palates. Enjoy them on their own for a quick snack, or add them to salads for a crunch.
You can have your batch in a flash if you pop a tray in the oven. More uses exist for chickpeas than merely making hummus at home. (However, that is unquestionably a great use for them!) They are flexible depending on the spices you have in your spice rack and make a great salty snack.
Although we prefer this cumin, chile, and oregano mixture, any of your preferred spices will work. Your chickpeas will have the best crunch if you strictly adhere to our baking recommendations. Potato chips later
Chickpea Burgers
Try this chickpea burger as a meatless alternative for your next cookout. These burgers are in a league of their own and are still protein-packed and portable to the park. Avoiding the temptation to imitate a classic burger is the secret to making a decent plant-based burger. Make a patty that you like just as much in its place!
These tasty chickpea burgers go great with all of your favorite burger toppings. No matter how you like your burger, this chickpea patty can compete. This meal of chickpea burgers is incredibly gratifying for vegetarians. They are coated in BBQ sauce, vegan bacon, and a special sauce in this instance.
Giving up the burger is not necessary if you eat just plant-based meals. Veggie burgers may be incredibly filling without using processed meat alternatives. Your new go-to might be these vegan chickpea burgers loaded with good foods! They have a hint of complexity from the smoked paprika and are crisp on the outside and delicate on the inside.
Falafel
Traditional Middle Eastern street cuisine includes falafels. These fried hummus balls are extremely flavorful and savory! Falafel poppers can be eaten hot out of the fryer in the kitchen. Compared to fried chicken, they are simpler to make. For a wholesome supper, serve these as an appetizer or with some sides. A full meal suggestion is the chickpea and pasta salad. With the right spices, fresh herbs, and chickpeas, falafel is prepared!
In addition, I provide a thorough step-by-step lesson and vital advice for baking or frying falafel. Watch the video to learn how I create it as well. What is your preferred method of eating falafel? Along with my slow Mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad, I adore them in warm pita sandwiches with tahini sauce or hummus. However, you can eat it alone or as part of a mezze buffet.
Sausage & Chickpea Skillet
The combination of beef and chickpeas in this recipe is ideal. It’s okay to substitute chickpeas for meat. Try this skillet and notice how the spicy sausage flavor permeates the chickpeas. You can make a warm and filling meal by serving the dish over rice. This dish only requires one pot, making it ideal for hectic weeknights. Make this recipe quickly between soccer and art classes for a stress-free lunch.
Are Chickpeas Healthy?
The simple answer is a resounding YES, even though I always advise that you seek the advice of a qualified physician for any dietary advice that is medically pertinent. One of the best vegetarian protein sources is chickpeas, which are also a good source of fiber, folate, iron, and phosphorus.
Consuming chickpeas has been linked to several advantageous health effects, such as better bone health, lower blood pressure, enhanced heart health, and a lower incidence of cancer.
How to Use Chickpeas?
The adaptable chickpea can be used in various ways, either whole or blended into a creamy sauce. Chickpeas that have been roasted or fried provide salads, rice dishes, and soups with a crisp texture. They can be seasoned to complement almost any cuisine’s flavor profile.
Before cooking, dried chickpeas need to be soaked. The beans should soak at room temperature for the entire night after being placed in a big basin and generously covered with cold tap water (or for at least eight to 12 hours). To aid release the skins and produce cooked garbanzo beans that are softer, some cooks suggest adding a teaspoon of baking soda per liter of soaking water.
To prepare dried chickpeas more quickly, place them in a pot of boiling water, cook them for a minute or two, and then set them aside to soak for an hour. This technique stirs the baking soda after taking the chickpeas off the heat. Finish by draining and thoroughly rinsing the chickpeas, especially if you add baking soda.
Chickpeas in cans are ready to use right out of the can, but you should rinse them first to eliminate any leftovers. The liquid in the can, aquafaba, can be kept for use in other recipes or as an alternative to eggs.
How to Cook with Chickpeas?
Some Moroccan dishes, like harira, demand that the chickpeas be peeled. Work with drained chickpeas as soon as possible since the soaked chickpeas need to be moist to allow the skins to come off. If you want to peel many of them, keep them in a water basin and take handfuls at a time.
Roll and pinch each moist chickpea between your forefinger and thumb to remove the skin. The second layer of skin may need to be peeled off with another roll and pinch. Even though some chickpeas may split in half during this process, they can still be used.
You can also sandwich a sizable amount of dried, rinsed chickpeas between two kitchen towels and rub them against a table or counter. The chickpeas can then be picked out of the residue once the skins have been separated. Similar to how some Moroccans roll soaked chickpeas on the rough surface of a the, a woven basket is traditional Moroccan cooking.
Salads, soups, and other recipes can use drained vegetables. Put the soaked beans in a pot and cover them with salted water if a recipe asks for plain-cooked chickpeas. It should be brought to a boil, covered, and simmered for 60 to 90 minutes, depending on how tender you want your chickpeas to be.
Chickpeas can also be prepared in a pressure cooker. Cook the chickpeas for about 45 minutes, or until they are soft, on medium heat. They should be added to the cooker’s salted water, covered securely, and heated to pressure.
Chickpea Substitutes
Other beans can be used in place of chickpeas in a recipe. Try butter beans, white lima beans, or cannellini beans, even if they won’t be a great match. They are all readily available dried or in cans and have a similar creamy consistency, particularly when pureed.
Where to Buy Chickpeas?
Chickpeas are typically available in 16- or 32-ounce cans or dried-in bags alongside rice and dried beans in most large grocery shops and online vendors. You can buy them in bulk as well as the common 1-pound packs.
You can grow your chickpeas, but since they don’t transplant well, you’ll need a lot of outdoor space. One hundred days after planting, the crop will be ready for harvesting.
Storage Tip
Chickpeas in dried and canned form can be stored for several years; check the packaging for the expiration date. Whether skins are on or not, soaking chickpeas can be held in the freezer for up to a year in an airtight container. Before adding them to the storage container, drain and let them dry. Cooked chickpeas can also be frozen; for optimum results, use them within six months.
Conclusion
Chickpeas come in both canned and dry types, and both are healthy. Look for canned kinds that say “no salt added” or “low in sodium” while making your purchase. Beans are often economical, even though dry beans normally cost less and have better flavor than canned beans. Because aromatics like onions, garlic, and other herbs and spices may be added to flavor them while they cook.
Chickpeas can be used in various of your favorite cuisines and as a snack. According to the speaker, they are a cost-effective, adaptable ingredient that can be utilized in many meals and cuisines. Nguyen prefers to roast them to eat them. They taste best when cooked with seasonings and a touch of olive oil. They are a crispy snack I enjoy eating on their own or keeping a bag in my backpack for when I’m out and about.
