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These easy chickpea recipes highlight the best of this versatile ingredient! A can of garbanzo beans is the first step to a delicious meal.

Chickpea recipes
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Wondering what to do with a can of chickpeas? You’ve come to the right place! Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are full of plant based protein and perfect for making filling meals. Chickpeas aren’t just for hummus. They’re also ideal for a vegan diet: all of the recipes below are vegan chickpea recipes (or have a vegan variation). You can use this mighty legume in so many creative ways! Head to the garbanzo bean recipes below.

What can I do with canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans)? Let us count the ways (or scroll down to the recipes):

  • Soups: Chickpeas are perfect in soups, either whole or blended to make a creamy body.
  • Tacos: Spiced up with cumin and chili powder, they’re perfect in a tortilla
  • Sandwiches: Throw them on a sandwich in a vegetarian version of chicken salad, for example.
  • Pizza: Yep, we’ve tried them on pizza.
  • Bowl Meals: They’re perfect for adding protein to main dish salads and power bowls.
  • Side Salads: Or, they’re a hearty addition to side salads.
  • Hummus & Falafel: Of course, they’re perfect in the traditional ways too.

And now…our 25 best chickpea recipes!

Vegan chickpea recipes

All of the recipes above are vegan chickpea recipes or have a vegan substitute! Here are the recipes that have vegan substitutes:

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) nutrition

Why eat canned chickpeas? This mighty legume is full of the good stuff. Here are a few reasons to love these garbanzo bean recipes:

  • Rich in plant based protein. 1 cup has 14.5 grams of protein, about 30% of your daily protein needs (source).
  • Excellent source of fiber. 1 cup also has 12.5 grams of fiber, about 50% of your daily need (source).
  • May help you manage your weight. Chickpeas are low calorie density, meaning they provide few calories relative to the nutrients they contain. The high protein and fiber also help to satiate the appetite and reduce calorie intake at meals. (source)

How to cook dry chickpeas

Is it better to cook chickpeas than use canned chickpeas? You can definitely use both! When we find time, we like cooking garbanzo beans from dry because the texture is a little firmer and the flavor a little better. However, we often use canned as well! Our favorite way to cook chickpeas is with our Instant Pot: the dry chickpeas cook in just 1 hour! If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can use our Dutch oven method.

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Chickpea Salad

Garbanzo bean salad
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This chickpea salad is protein-packed and bursting with fresh flavors, perfect for a light lunch or side dish! Simple ingredients and a quick prep time make it an easy and healthy meal prep option.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: No Cook
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 red bell pepper, diced (optional)
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon dried tarragon (or dried oregano)
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
  2. Chop all vegetables as noted in the ingredients list above.
  3. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. If omitting cheese, add a few extra pinches of salt. Store for up to 3 days refrigerated; tastes best at room temperature and if desired, add a pinch of salt or drizzle of olive oil to taste before serving.

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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  1. Hannah @ FamilyFoodFreezer says:

    Making a list of all the recipes I will be trying!! They all look amazing and I stickpot up on beans!! Have you tried freezing chickpea recipes?