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These easy chickpea recipes prove that a can of garbanzo beans can take you anywhere, from salads to falafel to cookie dough. Here are my favorite ways to cook with chickpeas!

Chickpea recipes
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Chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, are legumes full of plant based protein that are way more versatile than you might think. Honestly, I wasn’t a fan of this ingredient until I became a food blogger and cookbook author: now it’s one of my favorite ingredients to use in healthy recipes!

Because chickpeas aren’t just for hummus. You can use this mighty legume in so many creative ways, from my favorite 20-minute weeknight chickpea curry to hummus to a delicious mound of chickpea cookie dough. Here are my top garbanzo bean / chickpea recipes to use up a can!

My Top 20 Chickpea Recipes

Chickpea Nutrition: Why They Deserve a Spot in Your Pantry

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 Dried Chickpeas (Two Methods)

Is it better to cook chickpeas than use canned chickpeas? You can definitely use both! When I find time, I like cooking garbanzo beans from dry because the texture is a little firmer and the flavor a little better. However, I often use canned as well!

My favorite way to cook chickpeas is with an Instant Pot: the dry chickpeas cook in just 1 hour! If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can use my Dutch oven method.

About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi there! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of two cookbooks, busy parents, and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share simple, seasonal recipes and the joy of cooking. We now offer thousands of original recipes, cooking tips, and meal planning ideas—all written and photographed by the two of us (and tested on our kids!).

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1 Comment

  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?