Chickpeas, AKA garabanzo beans, are a nutty, versatile pulse, packed with protein and full of fibre. They are a low GI food, meaning they're a great source of slow-release energy – crucial in combatting the dreaded afternoon slump. Chickpeas are an ideal ingredient to have in your kitchen store cupboard for last minute meals, hearty stews, and tasty dips. Whether you're blitzing them into hummus, throwing them into curry or frying them up with plenty of spices for a wholesome snack, there are endless ways to make the most of this hard-working ingredient. Read on for 12 of our all-time favourite chickpea recipes . . .
A quick and budget-friendly dish, this spicy harissa prawn and chickpea curry from The Chickpea Cookbook is the perfect weeknight family supper.
From the book
The Chickpea Cookbook: Over 50 recipes inspired by our favourite little superfood
Delicious, fuss-free recipes made with chickpeas
Creative twists on family favourites
Easy recipes for budget-friendly meals
Liven up a couscous salad with chickpeas, red peppers, a spoonful of harissa paste and plenty of fresh herbs. Simple and tasty, from Eat Well For Less.
Soft roasted aubergine with chunky chickpeas and salty feta, what more could you want from a summery salad? Recipe from The Aubergine Cookbook.
This quick and fuss-free Aubergine, Tomato, and Chickpea Traybake from Green by Elly Pear makes a hearty midweek meal, and freezes well too, so it's perfect for batch cooking.
The classic crowd pleaser – hummus! One thing's certain, you'll never go back to supermarket hummus once you've tried Nigella Lawson's caramelised garlic version from her cookbook, Simply Nigella.
Bulking out your curries or stews with pulses and beans is a great way to make your meals go further and save money. Try Jamie Oliver's Lamb & Chickpea Curry for a thrifty curry that's packed with flavour.
This quick Chana Palak Curry recipe from Feelgood Family Food by Dean Edwards couldn't be simpler to make and is full of rich, spicy flavour. Serve with rice or naan for a mouthwatering midweek meal.
Chickpeas don't always come in their whole form. Chickpea flour is a wonderfully versatile, gluten-free ingredient that you can use to make all sorts of flatbreads, pancakes and these tasty Spiced Chickpea Pakoras. From The Chickpea Cookbook, they're simpler to put together than you might think. For best results, make the batter ahead so you can fry them into delicious fritters at the last minute.
Melissa Hemsley's delicious Spanish Chickpea and Almond Stew from Eat Happy is made using store cupboard staples like chickpeas, almonds, and tinned tomatoes, as well as frozen spinach, meaning it's the kind of dish you can throw together with very little foreward planning. It's also packed with protein and iron!
A quintessential Middle Eastern dish, these crisp Falafel from Comptoir Libanais by Dan Lepard & Tony Kitous are delicious served with warm pitta bread, salad, and dip.
This is an Indian street food-inspired dish from Rukmini Iyer's brilliant, The Green Roasting Tin. It combines crispy chickpeas with sprouts and a tamarind dressing, served up with yogurt, and piled into flatbreads or naan. Swap out the sprouts for broccoli or cauliflower florets when they're not in season.
What Nadiya Hussain likes to call her version of Jewish penicillin, this Ginger Rice with Spiced Chickpeas from her book, Nadiya's Family Favourites, is warming and wholesome. She says, “the rice is cooked slowly in water steeped in ginger and then finished with lots of butter. It can make you feel better when you are unwell and keep you warm when it’s cold outside”. The spiced chickpeas can also be adapted to use in salads, soups or as a snack in their own right.
