10 Ways to Use Chickpeas

Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are a popular ingredient in many cuisines around the world. With their mild flavour and buttery texture, there are a multitude of ways to use chickpeas in all kinds of recipes.

Beyond their versatility and taste, chickpeas are nutrient powerhouses! Chickpeas are loaded with:

Fibre to support digestion, cardiovascular health, and blood sugar balance
Iron for energy levels
Plant-based protein, which can help repair tissues, build muscle and connective tissues, balance blood sugar, and support the immune system
Folate to support the brain and nervous system
Zinc for immune, skin, and reproductive health
Studies on chickpeas demonstrate they may help to lower the risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, certain types of cancers, and Type 2 diabetes

The Best Way to Cook Chickpeas

Whenever possible, we opt for dried chickpeas and then cook them ourselves. This option is less expensive than canned chickpeas, plus we skip the packaging waste, excess sodium, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the can lining such as bisphenol A. We like to cook them in huge batches, then portion them into containers in the freezer. If dried beans aren’t available or convenient, aim for BPA-free cans (there are even some of our Culinary Nutrition Experts around the world who can get them pre-cooked in glass jars!).

To get started with using dried chickpeas, grab our complete Guide to Cooking Beans here.

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Trouble Digesting Chickpeas?

Beans and legumes can be challenging to digest due to their high content of fibre and complex carbohydrates. If you’re not used to eating them, things can get quite musical! There are many ways you can prep and cook chickpeas to lower their gas-inducing factor: learn how right over here.

10 WAYS TO USE CHICKPEAS

In no particular order, here are some of our favourite ways to use chickpeas along with recipe inspiration.

Hummus

You knew this had to be top on the list of best ways to use chickpeas! Basic hummus includes cooked chickpeas, lemon, garlic, sea salt, and tahini and then you can jazz it up as desired with additional spices, herbs, and veggies like roasted red peppers, artichokes, root vegetables, or dark leafy greens.

Hummus is perfect when paired with your fave raw veggies, gluten-free bread, or crackers. It’s also lovely when thinned with a little water for a salad dressing.

Recipe to Try: Easy Hummus Recipe by The Mediterranean Dish

Also, be sure to check out our founder Meghan Telpner making hummus with her toddler in this video!

Roasted Chickpeas

Looking for a crunchy snack to replace potato chips? Toss your chickpeas in oven-safe cooking oil, salt and spices, and roast until they are crispy. Roasted chickpeas are great on their own, packed into lunchboxes as a nut-free option, or can be used as ‘croutons’ atop a salad or soup.

Recipe to Try: Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas by Sondi Bruner

Soups and Stews

One of our favourite ways to incorporate chickpeas is in soups and stews. You can toss chickpeas into virtually any one-pot meal for added protein, texture, flavour, and fibre. Blended chickpeas are a wonderful dairy-free thickener in place of cream or flour for soups and stews, too.

Recipe to Try: Pumpkin Chickpea Curry by Vegan Richa

Cookies, Blondies and Brownies

Yes, chickpeas are fantastic in baked goods like chocolate chickpea cookies, blondies and brownies. They have a mild flavour, and add a whomp of protein and fibre to elevate the nutrition of your baked goods. The key to using chickpeas in your gluten-free baking is to blend them really well in a food processor or blender so you can’t detect their texture.

Recipe to Try: Salted Hazelnut Butter Chickpea Blondies by Vegukate

Salads

A good salad is more than just lettuce! Our theory is you need at least six or seven toppings in order for a salad to be delicious. We adore adding cooked chickpeas to salads. Or, you can skip the greens entirely and make chickpeas the base of your salad.

Recipe to Try: Greek Chickpea Salad by Nourish and Fete (For a dairy-free version, skip the feta or make one of these dairy-free cheese recipes)

Sandwich Filling

Mashed chickpeas, when mixed with cashew cream, avocado, hummus, or vegan mayo, can replicate a fantastic vegan ‘tuna’ or sandwich spread.

Recipe to Try: Smashed Chickpea Sandwich by Jessica in the Kitchen

Veggie Burgers

Chickpeas, as well as most beans and legumes, are wonderful in veggie burgers because they offer a sturdy, meat-like texture in addition to their health benefits. Burger recipes are easy to make in large batches to stash in the freezer for those days when you want a quick, nutritious meal without a lot of hassle.

Recipe to Try: The Best Vegan Chickpea Burgers by Eat With Clarity

Plant-Based Meat Crumble

Pulsing chickpeas in a food processor, or giving them a rough mash until they are crumbly, transforms them into a vegan ground ‘meat’ that you can use in pasta sauces, chili, stews, tacos, meatloaf, etc. Check out these 10 whole food plant-based meat substitutes for more ideas!

Recipe to Try: Chickpea ‘Beef’ by Making Thyme for Health

Falafel

Falafels are Middle Eastern fritters made with chickpeas, herbs and spices. Use them in sandwiches, wraps, salads, or on their own as a snack. Falafels are traditionally deep-fried, but you can also pan-fry or bake them.

Recipe to Try: Falafel The Crispy Traditional Way by Chef Tariq

Tacos

Seasoned chickpeas make a great addition to taco recipes, as well as burritos, tostadas, taco salads, or enchiladas. Top with salsa and/or guacamole (we love both) and you’re golden.

Recipe to Try: Cumin Lime Chickpea Cauliflower Tacos by Short Girl Tall Order

If you’ve got some dried or canned chickpeas kicking around in your pantry, we hope all of these chickpea recipes have inspired you to put them to good use.

Culinary Nutrition