35 Chickpea Recipes (easy meals) - The Plant Based School (2024)

If you want to add flavor, protein, and fiber to your meals without compromising taste, you’re in for a treat.

These recipes are designed to be approachable and enable you to whip up a satisfying and nutritious meal with minimal effort and a low budget.

Chickpea recipes video

1. How to cook dried chickpeas

We start this list with a guide to cookingcanned and dried chickpeas, storing them, and using them to make delicious plant-based meals.

You will see thestep-by-step processofsoaking and cooking dried chickpeasto perfection andhow to use them in protein-packed recipesthat satisfy every palate.

2. Falafel

Falafels are deep-fried balls(we also do them in the air fryer) made out ofsoaked chickpeas, broad beans, or a combination of both.

We will show you how easy it is to prepare falafel, cook it in oil or an air fryer, and serve it with tahini sauce and pita bread.

3. Chickpea pasta salad

You’ll love this chickpea pasta salad because it’s tasty, nourishing, and fulfilling, with plant-based protein, vitamins, and antioxidants.

It’s an excellent recipe for meal prepping, and it’s drizzled with a mustard dressing and topped with creamy avocado.

4. Creamy hummus

A must-make chickpea recipe on this list is our velvety, creamy hummus.

It’s a mouthwatering spreadwith simple ingredients, and you can make it with canned or cooked dried chickpeas.

TIP: if you don’t have tahini at home, try this no–tahini hummus instead.

5. Quick chickpea salad

This chickpea saladis an easy, fulfilling, and nutritious dish and one of our favorite potlucks and meal prep recipes.

Make it in 15 minuteswith simple, fresh ingredients and a refreshinglemon vinaigrette.

6. Air fryer chickpeas

Air fryer chickpeas are quick, healthy, easy to make, and delicious when topped on creamy soups like eggplant, cauliflower, and Turkish lentil.

In less than 15 minutes, you’ll have atasty, light, and crunchy snack(perfect before a workout) or topping for yourmeals.

Carrot raisin salad is a classic, but with this recipe, we innovate slightly with chickpeas.

We make acreamy old-fashioned one, grandma’s style, with shredded carrots, raisins, and mayo,and a modern onewith orange juice, chickpeas, raisins, and without mayo.

12. Chickpea stew

Make a wholesome and rich chickpea dinner with this Mediterranean chickpea stew: aneasy one-pot recipe with staple ingredients.

It’s perfect as a tasty and easyeveryday dinneror as amake-ahead meal.

13. Stuffed eggplant

Here is amodern and healthy recipefor aplant-based dinner with familyand friends.

Our stuffed eggplant with avocado spread and crispy chickpeas is without meat and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

14. Couscous salad

Chickpea is a beautiful pairing with healthy grains, such as barley, farro, and couscous.

This couscous saladis easy, crunchy, ready in 20 minutes, and made with fresh vegetables.

15. Farro salad

Farro salad is a perfect meal for summer and autumn and a wholesome vegan lunch.

Add fresh veggies, olives, and chickpeas for a protein–rich, vitamin-packed meal.

16. Spinach stew

Thisdelicious and fiber-richspinach chickpea stew is easy to make for a quick meatless dinner or as a side for dinner.

Pair it with a dollop of yogurt and white rice, and you’ll have a complete and satiating plant–based meal.

17. Orzo salad

Our orzo saladis a light, healthy, and tasty dish that is easy to make with simple, fresh ingredients.

Pair it with canned and rinsed chickpeas, and it’s a perfect starter, summer salad, and dinner idea.

18. Fatteh

You’ll love our Fatteh recipebecause it combines different flavors and textures that are magical together.

A bed ofcreamy chickpea hummusis topped withcrispy oven-baked pita chipsand tendercumin-infused chickpeas.

19. Cauliflower salad

Roasted chickpeasquickly and easily addhealthy proteinanda tasty crunchto this creamy cauliflower salad.

Imagine slightly charredroasted cauliflowerpaired withnutty chickpeas, spiced withcumin, tossed with acreamy tahini dressing,and plenty offresh lemon juice.

20. Eggplant salad

Eggplant saladis an easy and delicious recipe made withroasted or air-friedeggplant, chickpeas, and other crunchy seasonal vegetables.

It’s perfect as a make–ahead meal, for potlucks, and as a lunchbox meal.

21. Microwave sweet potato with chickpeas

On top of a microwave sweet potato, addcouscous or bulgur salad with tomato and cucumber.

Top your potato withcrispy chickpeas, slicedblack olives, andtahini sauce for a quick and healthy dinner.

22. Mediterranean farro salad

In just over 30 minutes, you can have adelicious, healthy, and satisfying Mediterranean farro salad.

TIP: Make this grain bowl and meal–prep your next lunches or dinners.

23. 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 wholesome soup.

24. Chickpea curry

Chickpeas are a wholesome and delicious addition to creamy curries; try this version with an aromatic Indian spice mix and a rich coconut sauce.

Serve your curry on basmati rice and store potential leftovers in the fridge for up to five days.

25. Pasta e Ceci

This Italian pasta classic is creamy, healthy, and packed with tomato flavor.

It’s a family–friendly meal cooked in one pot and a tasty cooking method with canned chickpeas.

26. African peanut stew

This peanut stew recipe iswithout meat; we use chickpeas to make this aneasy 30-minute high-protein vegetarian meal.

You can expect abeautifully creamy texturewithrich and balanced savory flavors.It’s excellent for a weeknight dinner as well as for meal prep.

27. Moroccan chickpea stew

You canmake this Moroccan chickpea stew in 30 minuteswith simple ingredients for a wholesomeweeknight dinner and meal prep.

Serve this one-pot meal with couscous, rice, or pita bread to sop up the flavorful sauce.

28. Chana dal with split chickpeas

Indulge in the creamy goodness of split chickpea curry, or Chana Dal, as chickpeas harmoniously meld with vibrant spinach and succulent fresh tomatoes.

Elevate your dining experience with this wholesome and aromatic curry, a creative take on a traditional Indian recipe.

29. Cauliflower curry

Our cauliflower curryis an Indian-inspired recipe in which tender cauliflower florets simmer in a rich, aromatic tomato and coconut milk sauce.

You cancustomize the intensityof this curry by adding more or less spices. Our recipe is mild, suitable for most palates, and an excellent starting point for cooking with chickpeas.

30. Chana masala

Thischana masala is a simple yet flavorful recipe madein one pot with pantry staples. You can serve it withsautéed greens,rotibread,rice, ornaan bread.

Chana Masala is an excellent way toinvite Indian flavorsand chickpeas into your kitchen and wow your family and friends with atasty,healthymealthat willnourish their body and soul.

31. Sweet potato curry

You can put this curry together withlittle effortin one pot, and it’ll be ready in about30 minutes.The taste isbold and well-balanced.

It’s the perfecteveryday family dinner, and you can add yourpreferredprotein,such as chickpeas, lentils, or tofu.

32. Chana saag

While trying to stay true to Indian flavors and traditions,we simplify this chana (chickpea) saag recipeso you can make it with simple pantry staplesin one pot in less than 30 minutes.

Make your chana saag an even tastier dinner with adollop of yogurt,quick pickled red onions, and agenerous squeeze of lemon.

33. Harira soup

Harira is atraditional Moroccan soupwith lentils, chickpeas, and a rich and flavorful broth with warm spices, herbs, and tomatoes.

It’s a nourishing, fulfilling,high-protein mealwith over 20 grams ofhealthy, high-quality plant proteinper bowl.

34. Pumpkin curry

Our pumpkin curry iseasy to make in one pot with canned chickpeasin about 30 to 40 minutes.

It’s comforting, vibrant, and with a perfect balance ofsweet, tangy, and aromatic flavors, it’s ideal for aweeknight dinnerwith friends and family.

35. Stuffed tomatoes

You’ll love this recipe because it combines thefamiliar flavors of rice and tomatoeswith anourishingand aromatic fillingmade with chickpeas, spinach, and cumin.

This recipe isperfect for meal prepas the tomatoes get more flavorful as theingredients meld, and you can easilyreheat them in the microwavefor a healthy lunch or quick dinner.

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.

Categorized as:
30-Min Meals, Collections, Mains, Recipes

Hi! We are Nico & Louise

Welcome to The Plant-Based School, a food blog with easy, tasty, and wholesome recipes.

Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients.

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