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    Chickpea Recipes: 27 fabulous ideas

    Feb 21, 2021 by Katia · 2 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more details.

    A collage of four images featuring colorful vegan chickpea recipes.
    A collage of four images featuring colorful vegan chickpea recipes.

    What to do with chickpeas? These 27 delicious chickpea recipes are absolutely perfect to turn your chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, into healthy, economical and protein-packed meals for the entire family.

    From creamy soups to chickpea curries to colorful salads, appetizers, burgers and wraps, there’s a terrific chickpea recipe for every occasion.

    Their flavor, texture, convenience and protein content, make these versatile legumes a must in every pantry!

    ARE CHICKPEAS HEALTHY?

    Chickpeas are a fantastic source of plant-based protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are naturally gluten-free, low in fat and calories, and can also help weight loss.
    Essentially, chickpeas make a healthy, delicious meat substitute, they save you money, and the planet, too.

    Below, you’ll find over 27 of amazing vegan chickpea recipes that I love. They include comforting soups, tasty salads, and everything in between.
    And if time allows, and you prefer to use cheaper dried chickpeas instead of canned, you’ll find tips and instructions at the bottom of this page!

    CHICKPEA SOUP RECIPES

    These hearty chickpea soups are full of flavor, nutrients and make a delicious one pot meal that requires only crusty bread for dunking:

    1. EASY GARLIC CHICKPEA SOUP

    This vegan garlic chickpea soup is not only super easy, but it’s also tasty and deliciously creamy. Made from a handful of basic ingredients, it comes together in less than 30 minutes.

    Top view of a bowl full of chickpea soup over a white background. The soup is served with crusty bread and chili flakes.

    2. MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA SOUP

    Chickpea recipes for dinner? This hearty chickpea soup is full of flavor, it comes together in less than 30 minutes and requires cupboard staples and spinach from the freezer.

    Close-up of a hand dipping a piece of pita bread into a chickpea soup with spinach.

    3. ITALIAN PASTA WITH CHICKPEAS

    This soupy pasta with chickpeas or Italian pasta e Ceci makes a delicious one-pot family meal. It’s budget-friendly, vegan, packed with protein, it comes together super fast and nicely warms you up!

    Top view of a dark blue bowl full of orecchiette pasta with chickpeas, garnished with parsley.

    4. 1-POT CHICKPEA NOODLE SOUP

    Carrots and celery add color and fiber, noodles and chickpeas add protein and texture, and thyme and bay leaf marry all of the flavors together. This simple, 1-pot, plant-based is perfect for making ahead and enjoying as needed!

    Top view of two bowls full of chickpea noodle soup with slices  of carrots and rustic bread in the background - by MInimalist Baker

    5. SMOKY CHICKPEA AND LENTIL SOUP

    This soup is one of my favorite chickpea recipes, perfect for cozy, cold winter nights when you’re craving something hearty and comforting yet healthy. It’s also vegetarian, vegan and gluten freefor all to enjoy.

    Close-up of a white bowl full of lentil and chickpea soup with spinach, another delicious vegan chickpea recipe.

    6. BUTTERNUT SQUASH & CHICKPEA SOUP
    7. CHICKPEA NOODLE SOUP by Cookie and Katie

    Top view of a white bowl full of yellow chickpea soup with butternut squash and two smaller bowls full of pasta with chickpeas - by Cookie and Katie

    CHICKPEA DIPS & APPETIZERS

    What about turning your canned chickpeas into colorful, healthy and tasty appetizer?

    8. INCREDIBLY EASY CHICKPEA HUMMUS RECIPE

    This creamy delicious hummus doesn’t require you to boil the chickpeas for hours or to peel the chickpeas one by one. All you’ll need are canned chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, a pinch of salt, and a bit of water. And a blender, of course! 

    Top view of a white plate with hummus garnished with black sesame seeds and coriander. Slices of carrots next to the plate - by Gathering Dreams
    Found on Gathering Dreams

    9. CHICKPEA BRUSCHETTA

    What can I do with a can of chickpeas? This crispy chickpea bruschetta is a brilliant idea. Smashed chickpeas with sun-dried tomatoes make a scrumptious topping when fresh cherry tomatoes are still out of season. Who doesn’t love bruschetta?

    Five slices of bruschetta topped with chickpeas and sun dried tomatoes on a light blue plate.

    10. CHICKPEA & CARROT HUMMUS

    How festive, coorful an deliciously creamy is this chickpea & carrot hummus? It’s healthy, easy to make, full of lemon and garlic flavor, perfect for spreading or dipping!

    Top view of a grey bowl with yellow chickpea and carrot hummus garnished with pomegranate seeds.

    11. CHICKPEA & BEETROOT HUMMUS
    12. SOUTHWEST CHICKPEAS by Salt & Lavander

    The first image shows a bowl full of beetroot chickpea hummus garnished with slices of lemons, while the second images show roasted chickpeas over a dark background - by Salt & Lavander

    MORE CHICKPEA RECIPES: SALADS

    It’s so easy to use canned chickpeas to make a fabulous salads full of texture and flavor:

    13. SPICY CHICKPEA SALAD

    If you look for recipes for chickpea salad, you have to give this spicy chickpea salad a try! It’s vegan, healthy, it requires cupboard ingredients and comes together in a snap. It’s perfect for meal prep, too!

    Top view of a bowl full of chickpea salad with peppers and olives over a white background.

    14. ITALIAN CHICKPEA SALAD, CAPRESE-STYLE

    This scrumptious Italian chickpea salad is so easy to whip up in 10 minutes. Chickpeas are tossed with tomatoes, mozzarella, red onion, extra virgin olive oil, and basil. The result is a flavorful salad that makes a light lunch, but it’s hearty enough for a dinner side dish.

    Top view of a white plate full of chickpea salad with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella pearls, one of my favorite chickpea recipes.

    15. LEMON COUSCOUS SALAD WITH CHICKPEAS

    This refreshing lemon couscous salad with chickpeas is super easy to prepare and makes a delicious last-minute meal, side dish, or great to take to a potluck. It’s a no-brainer!

    Top view of a speckled plate full of couscous with tomatoes, chickpeas and cucumber served with slices of lemons.

    16. MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA SALAD by Well Plate by Erin
    17. ROASTED VEGETABLES & CHICKPEA SALAD

    Top view of a salad bowl full of Mediterranean chickpea salad and top view of a white plate full of chickpeas and roasted root vegetables - by Well Plated by Erin

    CHICKPEA CURRIES

    Add plenty of spices to your chickpeas and make a flavorsome curry to serve with rice, an easy, delicious and balanced meal:

    18. 10-MINUTE CHICKPEA CURRY

    This reach and creamy chickpea curry is magically ready in only 10 minutes, so delicious, filling and healthy. What’s not to like?

    Top view of a white plate full of rice and chickpea curry over a white background - by Gathering Dreams

    19. CHICKPEA TIKKA MASALA

    This easy chickpea recipe is an absolutely divine vegan version of the popular classic dish! It tastes deliciously indulgent while remaining healthy and makes large portions that are perfect for meal prep.

    Top view of a white plate with rice and chickpea tikka masala with naan bread - by Jessica in the kitchen
    Found on Jessica in the Kitchen

    20. GENERAL TSO’S CHICKPEA RECIPES

    In this chickpea recipe, the sweet, sticky General Tso’s sauce turns the chickpeas into a little spicy, and obsessively tasty vegetarian meal!

    Top view of two bowls full of rice and chickpea stew served with chopsticks over a white background - By Well Plated by Erin
    Found on Well Plated by Erin

    21. COCONUT RED CURRY WITH CHICKPEAS
    22. 1-POT GREEN CURRY WITH CHICKPEAS by Minimalist Baker

    Top view of a bowl full of red curry with chickpeas and a white bowl full with green curry with chickpeas - by Minimalist Baker
    Found on Minimalist Baker

    CHICKPEA WRAPS & BURGERS

    Not only soups and salads, you can transform a can of chickpeas into a terrific vegan burger or creative wrap or tacos!

    23. BBQ CHICKPEA WRAPS WITH RANCH DRESSING

    These chickpea wraps make an easy and quick lunch for work or meal on the go! Served with a creamy ranch dressing, they look so filling and inviting.

    Close-up of two wraps full of BBQ chickpeas -  by Jessica in the Kitchen
    Found on Jessica in the Kitchen

    24. SUN-DRIED TOMATO CHICKPEA BURGER

    These flavorful chickpea burgers are infused with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh herbs, that sounds absolutely delicious. They are an easy plant-based recipe perfect for any occasion.

    A chickpea burger over a blue background - by Minimalist Baker
    Found on Minimalist Baker

    25. VEGAN ZA’ATAR SPICED CHICKPEA BURGER 

    A crispy, fragrantly spiced chickpea burger packed with plant-based protein, anyone? Serve this scrumptious veggie pattie with your favorite burger bun and spicy caramelized onions! 

    Close-up of a chickpea burger with slice of tomatoes - by Vegan Richa
    Found on Vegan Richa

    26. FALAFEL SPICED CHICKPEA WRAPS
    27. CRUNCHY CHICKPEA TACOS by Blissful Basil

    Top view of colorful chickpea wraps - by Blissful Basil
    Found on Blissful Basil

    Can I use dried chickpeas instead of canned for these chickpea recipes?

    Of course, not only are dried chickpeas cheaper than canned, but they also make the most environment friendly alternative. If you have the time to soak and cook them, go for dried chickpeas, it’s a no brainer.

    How many dried chickpeas make a can?

    A can size is about 400gr/15oz, but it yields 250gr/9oz chickpeas (net weight) once drained. Essentially, to make the equivalent amount of a can of chickpeas, you have to use approximatively 125 grams or 3/4 cup of dried chickpeas.

    How to cook dried chickpeas?

    It’s really simple to cook chickpeas , and obviously more time-consuming than opening a can, but a pressure cook or an instant pot to speed the cooking time are not essential.
    My favorite method includes:

    • Overnight soak in plenty of water
    • Drain and rinse well
    • Cook in large pot full of water for at least 1 hour, or until tender

    There’s no need to add any salt at this stage, but a few bay leaves in the cooking water would be brilliant, if you have some on hand. When the chickpeas are done, drain, and let them cool. You can also let them rest in their cooking water until cold, they will get more tender, perfect for hummus or soups.

    CLEVER TIP: cook at least 1 lb of dried chickpeas, drain, when they are cool divide them into small freezing bags, and freeze. You can use them later in your next chickpea recipe!

    MORE INEXPENSIVE PANTRY-FRIENDLY RECIPES?

    I love legumes, they’ve been my staples for as long as I can remember, here you’ll find three collections of delicious recipes featuring lentils, peas and white beans!

    • 25+ Green lentil recipes
    • 17 Delicious pea recipes
    • 15 Cannellini bean recipes

    Whether you already love chickpeas or are cooking them for the first time, I hope that a few of these recipes make it into your regular rotation too! Let me know if you have any questions, I would love to hear from you. 💛

    Close-up of a bowl full of garlic chickpea soup with crusty bread.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    27 CHICKPEA RECIPES

    This collection of amazing chickpea recipes is perfect to whip out your healthy delicious meal in a snap, and this creamy garlic chickpea soup is one of my favorite go-to meals!
    Servings: 3

    Ingredients

    • 1 Tbsp olive oil or extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling if you wish
    • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 tsp paprika
    • 1 tsp dried rosemary
    • ½ tsp dried thyme
    • ¼ tsp chili flakes (or crushed red pepper, same thing)
    • 2 (15 oz each) chickpeas
    • 1 6oz-180 grams) large potato, diced
    • 2 cups (480 ml) low sodium vegetable broth
    • salt & black pepper, to taste

    Instructions

    • Drain only one of cans of chickpeas and pour the second one with its liquid into a blender. Purée until smooth.
    • Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat, add the garlic and sauté for about 45/60 seconds, or just until fragrant.
    • Add the puréed chickpeas, the second can of drained chickpeas, the potato, parprika, thyme, rosemary, chili flakes, and some freshly cracked pepper and give a good stir. Add broth and stir again.
    • Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the soup to a boil. Then turn the heat down to medium low and allow it to simmer for 25 minutes, stir occasionally.
    • Taste and adjust the seasoning according to your liking (it depends mostly on the salt content of your broth, I added about ¼ tsp of salt).
    • Serve hot with freshly ground pepper, a drizzle of olive oil if you wish, and delicious crusty bread for dipping!

    Notes

    • Storage instructions: keep in the fridge, stored in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
    • Freezable: divide among airtight containers (leaving 1-inch space at the top), and freeze up to 2 months


    « One-Pot Tomato basil Pasta with Ricotta
    One-Pot Pasta Recipes: 9 Easy Ideas! »

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    Comments

    1. Melissa B

      July 31, 2022 at 5:58 pm

      5 stars
      I haven’t made all of these recipes but I have made 6 of them. They were delicious! Looking forward to trying EVERY SINGLE ONE! Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
      • Katia

        July 31, 2022 at 8:10 pm

        That’s fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing your lovely feedback, Melissa. : )
        Best xx

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    Hi, I’m Katia! Welcome to my blog where I share easy, delicious, and budget-friendly recipes. I love cooking mainly vegetarian meals in no time at all. Minimum effort, maximum result. Read more…

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