Chickpea Recipes and Chickpea Dishes to Choose From

From chickpea curries and stews, to chickpea salads and pastas, chickpeas are the versatile, nutritious store cupboard essential you need in your kitchen.

Find Chickpea Recipes from HelloFresh

Chickpea Curry Recipes

Roasted Chickpea Recipes

Chickpea Salad Recipes

How to Cook Chickpeas

Due to their nutritional value, affordable price point, long shelf life and versatility in dishes, chickpeas are a store cupboard staple in homes up and down the UK. From creamy hummus and salads, to falafel and chickpea curries, there are hundreds of chickpea recipes to try. Learn how to cook chickpeas here.

How to Cook Canned Chickpeas

Don’t have the time to cook dried chickpeas from scratch? No problem, canned chickpeas are a great alternative. Roast them, blend them, mash them – the options are endless. One of the most popular ways to cook canned chickpeas is in a pan. To do this:

Drain the can of chickpeas and rinse them using a colander or sieve.
Add the chickpeas into a pan with around half a cup of water and begin to cook over a medium heat.
Add some olive oil and any seasonings as required, then heat for 30 minutes, stirring regularly. HelloFresh’s Senior Recipe Development Manager, Mimi Morley, recommends adding garlic, paprika and lemon juice for a delicious, tangy finish. ### How to Soak Dried Chickpeas If you’re starting with dried chickpeas, soaking is necessary before cooking. This can be done in many different ways, depending on what you have to hand in your kitchen and how much time you have to do it. Here are a few options:
Long soak chickpeas – Transfer your chickpeas into a bowl and cover them with plenty of water. Leave them overnight for around 8-12 hours. You can also add a tbsp of bicarbonate of soda per 500g of dried chickpeas to speed up the process.
Quick soak chickpeas – Add the dried chickpeas into a saucepan and fill it with cold water. Bring the water to a boil for a minute. Remove from the heat and leave the chickpeas to soak for an extra hour.

Once the dried chickpeas have been soaked, they’re ready to be cooked and enjoyed in a number of chickpea recipes.

Are Chickpeas Good for You?

If you’re wondering if chickpeas are good for you, the answer is yes! They’re also a must for those following a vegetarian diet, as they are more likely to have lower iron stores than people who eat meat. Great sources of iron for vegetarians include: pulses, such as kidney beans, chickpeas and lentils. Here’s all the nutritional information you need to know about this small but mighty superfood.

In 100g of cooked chickpeas, you will find the following nutritional value:

Calories: 164
Dietary Fibre: 7.6g
Sugars: 4.8g
Protein: 8.9g
Calcium: 49mg
Iron: 2.9mg
Potassium: 291mg

See our healthy recipes collection for more recipes using nutritious ingredients.

Chickpea Recipe FAQs

What are chickpeas?

Chickpeas are small, edible seeds of flowering plants from the Fabaceae family, also known as legumes or pulses.

Can you freeze chickpeas?

Yes. You can freeze chickpeas that you have cooked. It's best to freeze them in small portions, as it will make it easier to defrost and use them.

Where do chickpeas come from?

The chickpea plant originated around the Mediterranean, but we're talking thousands of years ago. Today, you can find chickpeas all over the world, and they're particularly popular in the Middle East and India.

What do chickpeas taste like?

The best way to find out is by trying a chickpea for yourself! If you've ever eaten hummus, then you'll have an idea of what chickpeas taste like. They're slightly nutty but not very strongly flavoured on their own.

Are chickpeas high in protein?

Yes. In 100g of cooked chickpeas, you’ll find 8.9g protein.

Are canned chickpeas okay to eat?

Yes! Canned chickpeas have been pre-cooked. You can eat canned chickpeas straight from the can, as long as you rinse them off beforehand, to wash away any excess sodium.