If you're asking yourself, "What can I cook with a can of chickpeas?" you've come to the right place. These 35 best chickpea recipes are easy to make, protein-rich, and beginner-friendly.
Browse through this list, and pick from stuffed veggies and healthy salads to pasta and grain bowls. Take your pick from these nutritious, wholesome, and plant-based meals.
Easy chickpea recipes in 30 minutes
These recipes are quick, easy, and great for meal planning.
You can use dried and cooked chickpeas or canned chickpeas for these 30-minute meals.
1. Chickpea avocado salad
We start this list with creamy avocado, ripe and juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and earthy chickpeas in a creamy bowl.
The flavors meld to perfection, creating a tasty, nutritious, and fulfilling avocado salad.
2. Chickpea pasta salad
You'll love this healthy pasta salad recipe because it's tasty, nourishing, and fulfilling, with plant-based protein, vitamins, and antioxidants.
It's an excellent recipe for meal prepping and as a post-workout meal.
3. Chickpea hummus two ways
A must-have chickpea recipe on this list is this velvety, creamy hummus.
Here's how to make mouthwatering homemade hummus with simple ingredients from canned and dry chickpeas. This recipe also includes a guide on how to make the creamiest hummus possible.
4. Quick chickpea salad
This chickpea salad is an easy, fulfilling, and nutritious dish.
Make it in 15 minutes with simple, fresh ingredients and a refreshing lemon vinaigrette. It's one of our favorite recipes for putlocks and meal prep.
5. Air fryer chickpeas
Air fryer chickpeas are quick, healthy, and easy to make.
In less than 15 minutes, you'll have a tasty, light, and crunchy snack (perfect before a workout) or topping for your soups and salads.
6. Chickpea pasta with eggplant
Are you looking for a leisurely and fulfilling lunch? This chickpea eggplant pasta is quick and easy to make, with simple ingredients. In less than 30 minutes, you'll have a wholesome plant-based meal for the whole family.
7. Chickpea quinoa salad
This quinoa chickpea salad offers a nutritious, naturally vegan, gluten-free meal to please the pickiest eaters.
We add a colorful palette of fresh veggies to this salad, which makes for an inviting and healthy bowl.
8. Carrot salad with chickpeas
Carrot raisin salad is a classic, but with this recipe, we innovate slightly with chickpeas.
We make a creamy old-fashioned one, grandma's style, with shredded carrots, raisins, and mayo, and a modern one with orange juice, chickpeas, raisins, and without mayo.
9. Avocado toast with crunchy chickpeas
Chickpeas quickly elevate many ingredients with their flavor; a good example is avocado!
Learn how to make the creamiest, most delicious avocado spread to eat in sandwiches and on toast with crunchy chickpeas and fresh tomatoes.
10. Vegan tuna with mayonnaise
Vegan tuna is a quick and easy recipe made with mashed chickpeas.
It's the perfect replacement for tuna in a sandwich, filling a baked sweet potato as an appetizer, or as a vegan tuna salad.
Chickpeas for dinner
Weeknight meals, comfort food, veggie-packed dinners, and side dishes.
These chickpea recipes are great for a quick dinner or appetizer with easy-to-find ingredients.
11. Chickpea stew
Our first chickpea dinner is a chickpea stew: an easy one-pot recipe with plenty of flavors and made with simple ingredients.
It's perfect as a tasty and easy everyday dinner or as a make-ahead meal.
12. Stuffed eggplant
Here is a modern and healthy recipe for an easy dinner with your family and friends.
Our stuffed eggplant with avocado spread and crispy chickpeas is without meat and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
13. Couscous salad
Chickpea is a wonderful pairing with healthy grains, such as barley, farro, and couscous.
This couscous salad is easy, crunchy, ready in 20 minutes, and made with fresh vegetables.
14. Farro salad
Farro salad is a perfect meal for summer and autumn, and a quick lunch.
Add fresh veggies, olives, and chickpeas protein-rich and vitamin-packed meal.
15. Spinach stew
This delicious and fiber-rich spinach chickpea stew is easy to make for a quick dinner or as a side for dinner.
Pair it with a dollop of yogurt, white rice, and you'll have a complete and satiating plant-based meal.
16. Orzo salad
Our orzo salad is a light, healthy, and tasty dish easy to make with simple, fresh ingredients.
Pair it with canned and rinsed chickpeas, and it's a perfect starter and dinner idea.
17. Roasted chickpeas (for soups, stews and salads)
Roasted chickpeas quickly and easily add healthy protein and tasty crunch to salads and soups.
They are also perfect as a healthy snack before a trip to the gym.
18. Eggplant salad
Eggplant salad is an easy and delicious recipe made with roasted or air-fried eggplant, chickpeas, and other crunchy seasonal vegetables.
It's perfect as a make-ahead meal, for potlucks, and as a lunchbox meal.
19. Microwave sweet potato with chickpeas
On top of a microwave sweet potato, add couscous or bulgur salad with tomato and cucumber.
For a quick and healthy dinner, top your potato with crispy chickpeas, sliced black olives, and crumbled feta cheese.
20. Mediterranean farro salad
In just over 30 minutes, you can have a delicious, healthy, and satisfying Mediterranean farro salad.
And if you prefer, you can make this recipe and meal-prep your next lunches or dinners.
21. Chickpea soup
This chickpea soup with canned chickpeas, potato, and Italian herbs is a perfect make-ahead meal.
Canned tomatoes complement the nutty aroma of chickpeas well. Even chickpea skeptics will appreciate this meal.
22. Chickpea curry
Chickpeas are a wholesome addition to curries; try this version with an aromatic Indian spice mix.
Serve your curry on basmati rice and store potential leftovers in the fridge for up to five days.
23. Pasta e Ceci
This Italian pasta classic is creamy, healthy, and packed with tomato flavor.
It's a family-friendly meal and a tasty cooking method with canned chickpeas.
Chickpea flour recipes
These chickpea flour meals are great beginner recipes that are easy to follow and add healthy protein to your diet.
Chickpea flour (garbanzo bean flour) can replace eggs in some recipes and add extra fiber to a meal - let's see how it's done!
24. Vegan frittata
This vegan frittata is crisp on the outside, soft, and moist on the inside, and for some reason, it feels like eating a regular egg frittata.
We use sauteed zucchini or artichokes for a veggie-packed and healthy meal.
25. Tofu scramble
Our tofu scramble is easy to make with simple ingredients, and you can serve it with your favorite veggies on toast with avocado.
We love it for Sunday brunch and a quick lunch as a last-minute meal idea.
26. Chickpea crepes with veggie filling
Chickpea crepes are salty pancakes with loads of protein and healthy fiber.
These savory pancakes are gluten-free and made with simple ingredients, yet they are delicious and fulfilling.
27. Farinata
Farinata or socca is an easy recipe made by mixing chickpea flour and olive oil and bake it in the oven for about 20 minutes.
It's the perfect appetizer and accommodates most diets as it's gluten-free and vegan.
28. Chickpea muffins
Chickpea frittata muffins are an easy make-ahead recipe for a nutritious and tasty breakfast, quick lunch, or dinner.
Add your favorite veggies to these muffins, and freeze them for a meal-prep-friendly snack.
29. Zucchini fritters
Our recipe is easy, and in less than 30 minutes, you can make these tasty fritters and serve them as a starter or a quick and light weeknight dinner.
30. Vegan carbonara
Our vegan carbonara is a simple recipe that can be made in 15 minutes.
The taste of our carbonara sauce is similar to the taste of an authentic Italian carbonara recipe. We use tempeh and chickpea flour to create an eggy flavor experience.
31. Fried eggplant
Our fried eggplant recipe is super crunchy outside and tender inside; we make it without eggs, and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Serve it on a bed of salad or as a side dish with your preferred source of protein.
Recipes with chickpea water (aquafaba)
Have you also wondered what to do with leftover chickpea water?
Here's a little inspiration to use aquafaba (chickpea water) to make delicious, egg-free desserts and dips.
32. Brownie cake
This chocolate brownie cake is an easy recipe made with five simple ingredients.
Packed with chocolate flavor, it can be served warm, with ice cream, or at room temperature.
33. Vegan tiramisu
Here we make the best vegan tiramisù we have ever had with simple plant-based ingredients.
We use leftover chickpea water to make airy and crunchy lady-finger biscuits.
34. Egg-free Amaretti
We end this list with Vegan Amaretti or Italian almond cookies.
They are perfect as a sweet treat for parties and special occasions during holidays and Christmas.
Tips for Chickpea Recipes
- How to store: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, then reheat in the oven, microwave, or air-fryer before eating.
- How to freeze: You can also freeze warm meals from this list for up to 3 months. To freeze them, let them cool down first, then transfer them to a freezer-friendly container, leaving some space to allow them to expand. Salads with fresh veggies should not be frozen or reheated.
- How to reheat: Thaw in the microwave or a pot on the stovetop. Before serving, garnish with fresh herbs. Always check each recipe for exact storage guidelines.
For many more 30-minute meal ideas, check out our 30-minute meal category page.
Recipe
35 Best Chickpea Recipes
Ingredients
- Pick your favorite chickpea recipe
- Read the recipe for ingredients required
- Make the recipe by following the instructions
Instructions
- How to store: Most of these chickpea recipes keep for 3 days in the refrigerator, best if stored in an airtight container. We usually reheat it in the microwave, but a pan with a dash of water would do too.
- How to reheat: Most of these recipes can be reheated in the microwave (if it's not a salad with lettuce), or reheated on a pan with a dash of water. Check the individual recipes for full make ahead, reheating and storage instructions.
Video Recipe
Nutritional Values
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