We must really love chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), because it was a breeze to round up lots of easy and tasty vegan chickpea recipes. This round-up features curries, soups, stews, salads, composed platters, and of course, hummus.
Even those who aren’t keen on beans might make an exception for versatile, tasty chickpeas, a.k.a. garbanzos. Americans have come to appreciate them in popular Middle Eastern, Indian and Mediterranean dishes.
If chickpeas have any drawback, it’s their long cooking time—up to three hours. In this case, the canned version has a definite advantage. Of course, if you have an Instant Pot® or pressure cooker, that’s a different story.
Easy ways to use chickpeas
In addition to being a great legume for soups and stews, there are lots of great uses for chickpeas:
- They shine as the stars of soups, stews, and curries
- Mashed and seasoned, chickpeas make an excellent sandwich spread.
- Pureed, they thicken hearty vegetable soups and make a good base for dips like hummus.
- Pan-roasted, they become an addictive yet blessedly low-fat snack.
- Chickpeas are delicious in green salads, or as the main ingredient in heartier salads.
Chickpea curries & Other Main Dishes
Easy Chickpea and Eggplant Curry: An easy and warming chickpea and eggplant curry, this stew is a great choice for chilly weeknight meals. This delectable stew is a Westernized mash-up of two Indian favorites, chana masala, a dish that highlights chickpeas, and baingan bharata, which features eggplant.
Super-Easy Chickpea Curry (Chana Masala): An easy chickpea curry (also known as chana masala) is an always-welcome, practically last-minute meal. Serve on its own with fresh flatbread or over hot cooked grains.
Ginger Turmeric Chickpeas with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes: This simple dish of ginger turmeric chickpeas is embellished with roasted cherry tomatoes and comes together for a delicious quick meal.
Curried Sweet Potatoes with Chard and Chickpeas: A fusion of flavor and color is what this hearty dish of curried sweet potatoes with chard and chickpeas is all about.
Indian-Spiced Cauliflower & Chickpea Stew: A delectable Indian-spiced cauliflower and chickpea stew gives you the curry flavors you crave at a fraction of the cost of take-out.
Chickpea Sheet Pan Pie: Cradled in a flaky, golden crust, chickpeas and green peas commingle with the classic French mirepoix of onion, carrots, celery, and savory spices.
Chickpea burgers, sandwiches, & wraps
Vegan Curried Chickpea Burgers: Curried chickpea burgers are infused with flavor and so easy to make. Serve on buns with your favorite accompaniments, or just top a green salad with them.
Chickpea Salad & Sandwich Spread: If you’ve been vegan for a while, you probably have your own version of Dianne Wenz’s chickpea salad recipe. But if you’re a newbie or an omnivore, the idea of making a mock tuna salad from chickpeas might be new to you. It’s just as good dolloped onto salad greens as it is as a spread on fresh bread.
Barbecue-Flavored Chickpea Pita Sandwich: Veggies and your favorite barbecue sauce synergize in a hearty chickpea pita sandwich with great flavor and texture. You can also take these same ingredients and transform them into a wrap.
Olive Hummus Wraps with Greens and Avocado: Featuring an easy homemade olive hummus, these wraps are an easy and delicious lunch for home, school, or work.
Chickpea soups & Stews
Coconut Curry Carrot Chickpea Soup: This naturally vegan soup combines comfort and spice in one satisfying bowlful. Both carrots and chickpeas are compatible with coconut milk and curry spices — spices that you don’t have to mix and measure, thanks to amazing Indian simmer sauce.
Fast and Easy Vegan Laksa Soup: Vegan laksa soup is made super easy courtesy of Indian simmer sauce. It features rice noodles in a coconut-curry base with vegetables, chickpeas or tofu, and tasty toppings.
Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup (Harira): This classic showcases a compatible duo of legumes. It can be served all year round, but is especially appealing as a transitional early fall soup, using fresh tomatoes.
Curried Spinach and Chickpea Soup with Ribbon Noodles: Made comforting with noodles, this soup a warming melange of flavor, texture, and color. The aroma that permeates your kitchen as this cooks is most enticing.
Cinnamon-Spiced Chickpea and Lentil Stew: Like all satisfying stews, this one relies on your own palate and sense of flavor to adjust seasonings. Cinnamon and cumin are must-haves, but there’s an array of other optional spices that you can experiment with.
Spanish-Style Chickpea Stew: Sometimes referred to as garbanzo stew, this variation on Spanish chickpea stew is easy and quick to prepare. There’s no truly standard recipe; it’s basically a thick stew or soup of chickpeas in a tomatoey, paprika-scented base.
Chickpea salads, Sides, & Cool Dishes
Spinach and Artichoke Salad with Chickpeas and Olives: Filled with color and texture, this salad is visually dazzling. With the addition of red cabbage, bell pepper, chickpeas, carrots, and cherry tomatoes, it’s a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.
Kale Caesar Salad with Spiced Chickpeas: This vegan Caesar salad is topped with spiced chickpeas instead of the traditional croutons and is enveloped in an easy creamy dressing.
Carrot Chickpea Salad with Olives & Parsley: This simple carrot chickpea salad is inspired by a traditional Middle Eastern recipe, embellished with lots of parsley and briny olives.
Quinoa Bowls with Chard & Chickpeas: Quinoa harmonizes so well with chard and chickpeas. Here’s a satisfying way to use these ingredients in a simple bowl presentation.
Rice and Chickpea Salad with Spinach and Raisins: This salad is so easy to put together with an array of simple ingredients. A main dish or hearty side salad, it’s an ideal way to use up leftover cooked rice.
Chickpeas and Green Beans with Balsamic Mushrooms: Here’s an appealing medley of chickpeas and green beans embellished with brown mushrooms sautéed in balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Hot and Cool Buffalo Cauliflower Chickpea Salad: There are enough vegan Buffalo cauliflower wings recipes floating around. But I enjoy this mash-up of flavors so much that I’ve transposed them into this hearty Buffalo cauliflower chickpea salad.
Vegan Niçoise-Style Salad: Bearing its French elegance beautifully, vegan Niçoise salad is a composed dish that may look fancy, but is incredibly easy to make. Its array of tasty ingredients, including chickpeas or white beans, slender green beans, tomatoes, and olives—make it a splendid main dish salad for a spring or summer meal.
The Classic Vegan Buddha Bowl: Vegan Buddha bowls may have started as a trend, but it looks like they’re here to stay. And no wonder — they’re a fantastic way to get your protein, good carbs (usually whole grains) and veggies in one bowl with plenty of eye appeal. This one also features chickpeas.
Vegan Cobb Salad: An American Classic this vegan version of Cobb salad recipe swaps in plant-based proteins for the traditional chicken and bacon, and replaces the customary hard-boiled eggs with chickpeas.
Super-Quick Two-Bean Salad: When your meal needs a protein boost, beans come to the rescue, and this super-easy two-bean salad can be made in 10 minutes or less.
Kale Salad with Chickpeas and Avocado: A simple kale salad with chickpeas and avocado, this relies on a lemon-olive oil dressing and a pleasing presentation.
Israeli Couscous and Chickpea Pilaf with Roasted Brussels Sprouts: A simple pearl couscous AKA Israeli couscous and chickpea pilaf gets its special flavor from roasted Brussels sprouts.
Hummus and Other Appetizers
Sweet Potato Hummus with Artichoke Hearts: Sweet potato hummus is a mellow backdrop for briny artichoke hearts (or olives, if you prefer the variation).
Fresh Herb and Artichoke Hummus: Fresh herb and artichoke hummus —yum! These ingredients take ordinary hummus up a notch. A 6-ounce jar, with its liquid, is a perfect quantity to use.
Homemade Hummus, 12 Easy and Delicious Ways: While packaged hummus is available almost anywhere food is sold, I still enjoy making my own. It’s easy and tastes better than store-bought. And this DIY version is more economical, yielding a larger quantity.
Pan-Roasted Chickpeas, 3 Ways: Pan roasted chickpeas are a more efficient way to enjoy this popular snack than oven-roasting, which tends to dry them out.
Vegan Chickpea Deviled Tomatoes: Combining chickpeas, nutritional yeast, and vegan mayo, and a touch of curry, these beauties are rather addictive, so be prepared for them to disappear quickly!
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