Hello lovelies,
when there is only one can left in our pantry, it is a can of chickpeas. It becomes a curry when dinner has to be fast, a hummus when friends come over, and broccoli balls when the girls are eating with us. Hardly any ingredient carries this many dinners with this little effort.
These 12 recipes are the ones that stayed: 3 saucy dinners, 3 salads with crispy chickpeas, 3 kinds of hummus and 3 dishes kids eat without a debate. All vegetarian, 10 of them vegan, and first the one question that decides whether any of them work: canned or dried?
Canned or dried: which chickpeas for which recipe?
For anything that has to be ready tonight, use the can; for hummus in bigger batches and for anyone who wants to control the salt, dried chickpeas are worth the effort. Nutritionally the two are closer than the price difference suggests.
Dried chickpeas follow a simple rule: soak them overnight in plenty of cold water, discard the soaking water, then simmer in fresh water for 60 to 90 minutes, according to Harvard's Nutrition Source, until a fork mashes them with no resistance. Raw dried chickpeas contain a lectin called phasin that only cooking breaks down, as Germany's Federal Centre for Nutrition points out, so they are never eaten raw, not even after soaking. Salt or broth can go into the water from the start without lengthening the cooking time; acid from lemon or tomatoes goes in at the end, because it slows the softening.
The can saves the time but costs salt: drained canned chickpeas carry about 246 mg of sodium per 100 g according to the USDA database, home-cooked chickpeas without salt about 7 mg. Rinsing them well in a strainer removes roughly 40% of that sodium, and in a dish with sauce, broth or tahini you will not taste the rest. A standard 15-ounce can yields about 1½ cups (250 g) of drained chickpeas, enough for 2 servings of curry or one bowl of hummus. Jarred chickpeas behave exactly like canned ones, with the advantage that you can see what is inside and the liquid is easier to catch.
| Per 100 g (3.5 oz) | Cooked, no salt | Canned, drained |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 164 kcal | 139 kcal |
| Protein | 8.9 g | 7.0 g |
| Fiber | 7.6 g | 6.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 27.4 g | 22.5 g |
| Fat | 2.6 g | 2.8 g |
| Iron | 2.9 mg | 1.1 mg |
| Folate | 172 µg | 48 µg |
| Sodium | 7 mg | 246 mg |
Curries and pasta: chickpeas that fill you up
In a curry or a pasta sauce, chickpeas do not have to do anything except be there: they soak up coconut milk, tomato and spices and turn a sauce into dinner. These are the 3 that land in our pot most often.
No. 1, the quick chickpea curry with coconut milk and spinach, is the most-searched chickpea recipe on this blog and the dish for nights when a can, coconut milk and a bag of spinach are all you have. It is on the table in 25 minutes and tastes rounder the next day, because the chickpeas keep soaking up the cumin, coriander, garam masala and turmeric.
No. 2, the pumpkin curry with chickpeas and mie noodles, is the fall version: pumpkin gives the sauce sweetness and body, and the separately cooked noodles make it a complete meal. No. 3, the protein pasta with chickpeas and lentils, simmers red lentils and chickpeas right in a tomato sauce with sun-dried tomatoes; the sauce goes over the pasta, done in about half an hour.
Salads and bowls with crispy chickpeas
Crispy oven chickpeas replace croutons, bacon and every other crunchy component, and they turn a side salad into a main course. The trick is always the same: pat dry, oil, season, bake hot.
No. 4, the vegan Caesar salad with chickpeas and crispy cauliflower, is the summer take on the classic with no anchovies and no egg: chickpeas are tossed with garlic powder, paprika and turmeric and baked at 350 to 400°F (180 to 200°C) for 15 minutes while the breaded cauliflower takes 30 to 40, and they take over the crouton job, while capers and vegan Worcestershire sauce give the dressing its umami.
No. 5, the salad with sesame potatoes, tomatoes and chickpeas, is my winter salad: sesame-coated potato wedges from the oven, baby spinach, crispy chickpeas and cherry tomatoes. No. 6, the pumpkin quinoa salad with chickpeas and dates, is the bowl for the lunchbox: roasted pumpkin, quinoa, chickpeas and the sweetness of dates hold up on day two.
How do you make crispy chickpeas?
Chickpeas turn crispy in the oven when they are dry, thinly coated in oil, baked at 350 to 400°F (180 to 200°C) and only come off the pan when they rattle as you shake it: 15 minutes is enough for bite in a salad, as in the Caesar salad, while a dry snack takes 25 to 30 minutes at our house with one turn halfway. Moisture is the only enemy: drained from the can, rinsed and patted thoroughly dry with a kitchen towel, otherwise they steam in the oven instead of roasting.
Season twice. Before baking, add oil, salt and the spices that can take heat, at our house paprika, garlic powder and turmeric as in the Caesar salad. Delicate things like fresh herbs, lemon zest or a pinch of sugar go on after the oven, or they burn. On the sheet pan the chickpeas need room: a single layer, never a heap, and the oven door stays shut.
The longer they bake, the drier and longer-lasting they get, and the smaller: one can ends up as a good handful of snack. Crispy chickpeas are croutons, snack and soup topping in one, and they are the reason there is always one more can in our pantry than the weekly plan calls for.
Hummus in 3 colors
Hummus is the chickpea recipe that comes together from a can, tahini, lemon and garlic in 5 minutes, and every extra ingredient changes its color and character. There is almost always a bowl in our fridge, usually in the color of the season.
No. 7, the green hummus with spinach and artichokes, is the freshest version and new on the blog: spinach turns it green, artichokes bring acidity, cream cheese makes it extra creamy, and butter-toasted panko goes on top; with a plant-based cream cheese and oil instead of butter it goes vegan. It works with bread as well as with raw vegetable sticks. No. 8, the pumpkin hummus with roasted veggies, is fall in a bowl, very mild and therefore a hit with kids; the pumpkin is roasted and blended in, and the roasted vegetables turn it into a wrap filling or a whole meal with bread.
No. 9, the loaded hummus with roasted veggies, is the second vegetarian recipe on this list after the green hummus: a classic hummus generously topped with roasted vegetables and feta, which goes vegan in seconds with a plant-based feta. For all three: simmer the chickpeas with a pinch of baking soda for 10 minutes before they go into the blender and the hummus comes out smoother, because the skins soften. Hummus keeps 3 to 4 days in our fridge, and a thin layer of olive oil on top keeps it fresh and stops it from drying out.
Fritters, balls and pancakes: chickpeas for kids
For kids, chickpeas work best in a shape you can eat with your fingers, and seasoned more gently than falafel recipes call for. These 3 stayed deliberately mild at our house because my girls do not like things too spicy.
No. 10, the savory chickpea pancakes, are the quick recipe made with chickpea flour: flour, water, briefly sautéed diced vegetables, salt, fried golden in a pan, no egg anywhere. No. 11, the baked broccoli balls with cucumber dip, are falafel without the falafel spices: chickpeas and broccoli shaped into balls and crisped in the oven instead of a fryer, with a cucumber dip that turns them into finger food.
No. 12, the chickpea herb pancakes filled with mushrooms, are the main course of the three: chickpea-flour pancakes with herbs, filled with sautéed mushrooms that keep the adults at the table too. Chickpea flour, by the way, is naturally gluten-free and binds batters that would otherwise rely on eggs. All 3 can be made the day before and go cold into the lunchbox at our house.
What is in chickpeas?
Cooked chickpeas deliver 8.9 g of protein, 7.6 g of fiber, 2.9 mg of iron and 172 µg of folate per 100 g (3.5 oz) in the USDA database, at 164 calories. For a food that keeps in the pantry for years and costs very little, that is a remarkable balance.
The combination of protein and fiber is why chickpeas keep you full for so long, and why they pair so well with grains in the kitchen: rice, bulgur, bread or pasta round out the legume's protein. Where chickpeas sit in the bigger picture is in my post on the best plant protein sources.
The two types you will find in stores are described by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: the large, round, light-colored Kabuli chickpeas that fill our cans and jars, and the smaller, darker, irregularly shaped Desi chickpeas that are common in India and the Middle East. For the recipes here, the supermarket can is all you need. And if you want the next protein sorted after chickpeas, my vegan tofu recipes from crispy to creamy are the counterpart to this list.
Aquafaba, soaking, cooking ahead: the questions that always come up
The liquid in the can is called aquafaba and whips like egg whites, cooked chickpeas keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge, and they freeze well in portions. Three answers that change how you handle chickpeas.
Aquafaba first: the liquid from the can holds dissolved starch and protein and whips into a stable foam with a hand mixer, replacing beaten egg whites in mousse, meringue and macarons. How much of it replaces one egg, and where the limits are, is in my table of egg substitutes for baking. So do not pour it down the drain; pour it into a jar.
I always cook dried chickpeas in a double batch, because the effort is the same: soak, simmer, drain. Half goes into portion bags in the freezer, where it keeps for months and stands in for the can when we run out. Thawed, they are in the sauce within 10 minutes, and in a salad nobody notices the difference.
How legumes work in general, which kinds need soaking and how long each one cooks is laid out in my guide on how to cook dried beans and lentils. Two rules from Germany's Federal Centre for Nutrition round it out: lentils and split peas need no soaking, and a pressure cooker cuts the cooking time by a quarter to a third. If you plan the whole week, take the curry and the pasta above into my vegetarian meal prep recipes.
Frequently asked questions
Can you eat chickpeas raw?
Not dried ones, even after soaking: raw dried chickpeas contain a lectin called phasin that only cooking breaks down, according to Germany's Federal Centre for Nutrition. Canned or jarred chickpeas are pre-cooked and can be eaten straight from the package, in a salad or as hummus.
How long do chickpeas take to cook?
Soak dried chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water, discard the soaking water and simmer them in fresh water for 60 to 90 minutes, until a fork mashes them with no resistance; a pressure cooker cuts that by a quarter to a third. Salt can go in from the start; acid goes in at the end.
Canned or dried chickpeas, which is better?
For quick dishes, canned; they are pre-cooked and ready to use. Dried chickpeas are cheaper, salt-free and deliver slightly more protein, iron and folate per 100 g once cooked, but they need an overnight soak and up to an hour and a half on the stove. If you cook a big batch, freeze half.
Do you have to rinse canned chickpeas?
Yes, if you can. Drained canned chickpeas carry about 246 mg of sodium per 100 g in the USDA database, and rinsing them well in a strainer removes roughly 40% of it, according to Harvard's Nutrition Source. Catch the liquid anyway: it is aquafaba and whips like egg whites.
How much protein is in chickpeas?
Cooked chickpeas deliver 8.9 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz) in the USDA database, canned and drained 7.0 g. Add 7.6 g and 6.4 g of fiber respectively. Paired with a grain such as rice, bulgur or bread, the protein building blocks complement each other.
What do you do with the liquid from the can?
Whip it. The liquid from the can, called aquafaba, turns into a stable foam with a hand mixer and replaces beaten egg whites in mousse, meringue or macarons. It keeps a few days in the fridge and longer frozen in an ice cube tray.
Lovelies, start with the can that is already in your pantry and turn it into the quick chickpea curry with coconut milk tonight. When the second can becomes hummus, the start of this list is already in your kitchen.
Tell me in the comments: which chickpea dish lands on your table most often?
Yours, Verena
Sources
- 1.USDA FoodData Central · Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt (SR Legacy, FDC 173757) · 2019
- 2.USDA FoodData Central · Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, canned, drained solids (SR Legacy, FDC 173800) · 2019
- 3.Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health · The Nutrition Source: Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) · 2024
- 4.Bundeszentrum für Ernährung (BZfE) · Kichererbsen in der Küche · 2025
- 5.Bundeszentrum für Ernährung (BZfE) · Hülsenfrüchte: Vom Einkauf in die Küche · 2025
