Easy Chickpea Recipes

Quick easy chickpea recipes really do make great budget friendly store cupboard suppers for meat eaters as well as vegetarians and vegans.

And I have for you here a collection of the best tried-and-tested simple healthy chickpea recipes including :

1. Classic Indian chickpea curries
2. Mediterranean chickpea salads
3. Roasted & toasted chickpeas
4. PLUS meals you can whip up fast with canned or dried chickpeas
5. And more ...

I hope you find these recipes as tasty and handy as I have on busy days.

Do save for quick reference later.

Chickpea Curry Recipes

Who needs a take-out when you can whip up a super cheap, classic Indian chickpea curry from your cupboards?

These chickpea curry recipes are easy enough to make on auto-pilot - however tired you are - once made a few times :

• Easy Chickpea Curry
• Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry
• Chana Masala
• Coconut Chickpea Curry

The spices makes these chickpea curries special but do NOT worry if you don't have all the exact flavours. Work with what you have and love!

Easy Chickpea Curry

This easy chickpea curry could not be quicker or simpler. It's all made from cupboard supplies plus baby spinach for which you could swap frozen.

Time To Table : 20 minutes

Ingredients : chickpeas, coconut milk, crushed tomatoes, baby spinach, curry paste, crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic.

If like me you want to cut out dodgy seed oils and weird preservatives make your own easy Indian curry paste and freeze it in small portions.

Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry

This easy vegan chickpea curry can again be on the table in just 20 minutes. It's a good choice if some of your family are not big coconut fans.

Time To Table : 20 mins

Ingredients : canned chickpeas, canned tomatoes, almond milk (or milk of choice), onion, garlic, curry powder, coriander, paprika, ginger, turmeric, maple syrup (optional)

If you're trying to reduce sugar I would skip the maple syrup which is lower GI than standard sugar but it is still free sugar that triggers lots of gut issues.

Chana Masala

This authentic Indian chana masala takes longer but most of the time it's just on the stove building up flavour whilst you do other stuff. It's another good coconut-free recipe.

Time To Table : 45 mins

Ingredients : canned chickpeas, canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin seeds, ginger, green chilli pepper, coriander powder, cumin, paprika, turmeric, chilli powder, baking powder

It's a great idea to freeze chopped green chilli pepper so you always have some to hand but cut food waste.

Coconut Chickpea Curry

For those who do love coconut this chickpea curry is a real winner. Again it takes a little longer but is fuss free.

Time To Table : 45 mins

Ingredients : canned chickpeas, canned tomatoes, coconut milk, flour, onion, garlic, garam masala, curry powder, cumin, lime juice

Chickpea Salads

Super tasty chickpea salads come into their own in the summer but they can also be a healthy, money saving option for packed lunches :

• Easy Chickpea Salad
• Chickpea Couscous Salad
• Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad

Easy Chickpea Salad

This simple chickpea salad barely needs a recipe - just chop, dress & toss and pop in the fridge to cool and marinate for an hour so the cumin dressing really soaks through.

Time To Table : 1 hour 20 mins

Ingredients : canned chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, red onion, parsley, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, cumin, avocado (optional)

Fresh parsley is great for gut health - and you can grow parsley easily - but if you don't have any, dried chervil or cilantro / coriander are good swaps.

Chickpea Couscous Salad

This quick chickpea couscous salad with a delicious mix of vegetables, nuts and olives makes a substantial lunch or supper with some canned fish, cold meat or eggs on the side.

Time To Table : 15 mins

Ingredients : canned chickpeas, couscous, cucumber, green bell pepper, radishes, olives, almonds, onions, lemon juice, honey, cumin, garlic

Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad

This super quick and simple middle eastern chickpea salad is brought to life by amazing flavouring.

Time To Table : 15 mins

Ingredients : canned chickpeas, cumin, all spice, cardamon, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, coriander, parsley, red or white wine vinegar, lemon, garlic.

Cinnamon and nutmeg are good swaps for cardamon. Serve with these easy flatbreads that are ready in 30 mins.

Chickpea Falafel

Homemade falafel are surprisingly speedy and simple to whip up from scratch. They are also more tasty and nutritious than store bought or mixes.

All you need to do for these falafel are :

1. Bung ingredients in food processor
2. Rest mixture for 15 mins in fridge
3. Roll balls in breadcrumbs
4. Fry until crispy.

Time To Table : 30 mins

Ingredients : canned chickpeas, shallots, garlic, cilantro, parsley, cumin, flour, breadcrumbs

Chickpea Soup

These simple chickpea soup recipes make lovely quick, cheap, heartwarming lunches and suppers :

• Lemony Chickpea Soup
• Creamy Chickpea Soup
• Tuscan Garbanzo Soup

Lemony Chickpea Soup

This super quick, super tasty lemony chickpea soup is one of my favourites when we seem to be out of everything and I haven't a clue what to cook ...

Time To Table : 25 mins

Ingredients : canned chickpeas, garlic, broth, thyme, oregano, chilli powder, lemon

Lemon juice, slices and zest are handy things to keep in the freezer for both last minute meals and homemade coughs & cold remedies.

Creamy Chickpea Soup

This creamy chickpea soup with spuds and carrots makes a heartier meal but is still simple and on the table fast.

Time To Table : 35 mins

Ingredients : canned chickpeas, potatoes, carrots, broth, onion, garlic, kale, rosemary, parmesan

It's a great idea to freeze kale so you always have some handy to chuck in quick soups, stews and the like.

Tuscan Garbanzo Soup

This Tuscan garbanzo soup feels quite fancy with its coconut and sun dried tomatoes but still couldn't be simpler.

Time To Table : 30 mins

Ingredients : canned chickpeas, sun dried tomatoes or other tomatoes, spinach, coconut milk, broth, onion, garlic, oregano, lemon

Chicken & Chickpea

Good quality chicken - minus the factory farmed chemicals! - puts the price of dinner up. But these chicken and chickpea recipes for family meals let you cut back a bit on the chicken without compromising taste :

• Chicken & Chickpea Paprikash
• Moroccan Chicken & Chickpeas
• Sheet Pan Chicken With Chickpeas

Chicken & Chickpea Paprikash

This easy chicken & chickpea paprikash is a classic Hungarian recipe for a quick stomach warming family dinner.

Time To Table : 30 mins

Ingredients : chicken breasts, canned chickpeas, canned tomatoes, stock, red bell pepper, sour cream, flour, onion, garlic, paprika

Moroccan Chicken & Chickpeas

This Moroccan chicken & chickpeas recipes needs a little more time but it is worth it for the rich spicy flavour.

Time To Table : 50 mins

Ingredients : chicken thighs, chickpeas, red onion, garlic, harissa, tomato paste, lemon, paprika, cumin, oregano

You can easily make harissa paste to freeze or use any hot sauce you have.

Sheet Pan Chicken With Chickpeas

Sheet pan dinners that save on washing up are always good, and this richly flavoured sheet pan chicken with chickpeas is a real winner.

Time To Table : 40 mins

Ingredients : chicken thighs, chickpeas, carrots, onions, garlic, lemon juice, tomato paste, cumin, smoked paprika, pepper flakes.

Chickpea & Cauliflower

Cauliflower and chickpeas make a great match as they both soak up rich flavours so well in recipes like these :

• Chickpea & Cauliflower Curry
• Thai Chickpea & Cauliflower Curry
• Roasted Chickpeas & Cauliflower
• Chickpea & Cauliflower Tacos

Easy Chickpea & Cauliflower Curry

This easy cauliflower & chickpea curry is super tasty but is basically a store cupboard supper that makes brilliant use of that cauliflower you don't quite know what to do with.

Time To Table : 45 mins

Ingredients : cauliflower, chickpeas, coconut or other milk, tomatoes, onion, garlic, stock, green chillies, ginger.

This is another recipe that makes great use of frozen green chillies. Use dried ginger if you don't have fresh.

Thai Chickpea & Cauliflower Curry

If you love Thai food you'll adore this Thai cauliflower & chickpea curry.

Time To Table : 30 mins

Ingredients : cauliflower, chickpeas, coconut milk, curry paste, green chilli pepper, ginger, turmeric, shallots, garlic, maple syrup, tamari or soy sauce.

Roasted Chickpeas & Cauliflower

This roasted chickpeas & cauliflower recipe served with a tahini or yoghurt dressing makes a really substantial meal you can make on a budget.

Time To Table : 45 mins

Ingredients : chickpeas, cauliflower, small potatoes, lemon, garlic, paprika, cumin.

Chickpea & Cauliflower Tacos

These chickpea & cauliflower tacos do need a good 35 minutes in the oven but couldn't be easier to make, simply :

1. Chop your cauliflower and onion
2. Toss everything together
3. Roast in oven
4. Serve with tortillas and toppings.

Time To Table : 45 mins

Ingredients : cauliflower, chickpeas, red onion, chilli powder, cumin, tortillas, garlic plus taco toppings of choice

You really can make your own tortillas from scratch in just 10 minutes.

Chickpea Stew

Almost every Mediterranean culture has their own delicious version of a super simple, cheap chickpea stew :

• Lebanese Chickpea Stew
• Greek Chickpea Stew
• Spanish Chickpea Stews
• Smokey Potato Chickpea Stew

Lebanese Chickpea Stew

This Lebanese chickpea stew is just chickpeas, tomatoes and pepper plus lots of flavouring but tastes amazing.

Time To Table : 45 mins

Ingredients : chickpeas, tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic, cumin, paprika, chilli pepper flakes, bay leaves, za'atar spice blend (or something similar from your cupboards)

Greek Chickpea Stew

This lovely Greek chickpea stew stands out as something a bit different amongst all the typical tomato based Mediterranean chickpea stews.

Time To Table : 1 hour

Ingredients : chickpeas, shallots, leeks, garlic, milk, kale or chard or spinach, lemon, thyme, rosemary, chilli flakes, bay leaf

Spanish Chickpea Stews

Garbanzos a la Navarra is a classic Spanish chickpea stew that simply stews the chickpeas in a rich tomato and red pepper sauce.

Time To Table : 35 mins

Ingredients : chickpeas, roasted bell peppers, tomato, carrot, onion, garlic, paprika

Or for a slightly fancier version with red wine vinegar, almonds and spinach try this espinacas con garbanzos recipe ...

Smokey Chickpea Stew

For an even heartier stew try this smoky potato chickpea stew which is perfect for a cheap family dinner. It takes longer but most of that time, it will just be stewing away!

Time To Table : 1 hour 10 mins

Ingredients : chickpeas, potatoes, tomatoes, broth, kale, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, paprika

Chickpea Buddha Bowl

Buddha bowls can be super comforting healthy food for quick suppers and last-the-week lunchbox meals and this chickpea bowl would work as both.

It's simply spicy chickpeas combined with a great mix of roasted veggies.

Time To Table : 30 mins

Ingredients : chickpeas, red onion, sweet potatoes, broccolini, kale, cumin, chilli powder, oregano, turmeric, garlic powder plus tahini or yoghurt dressing.

Chickpea Burgers

These easy vegan chickpea burgers taste great enough to serve to everyone vegan or not and they really are simple. It is just a question of :

1. Cooking the onions and garlic
2. Blending all the ingredients
3. Forming into patties
4. Baking for 35 minutes
5. Flipping half way.

Time To Table : 45 mins

Ingredients : chickpeas, oats, tomato paste, onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, chilli pepper flakes

Chickpea Meatballs

These super quick, super cheap chickpea meatballs are brilliant to serve with spaghetti for vegetarians but also if you are out of ground beef.

Time To Table : 20 mins

Ingredients : chickpeas, breadcrumbs, egg, grated cheese, Italian seasoning, paprika

Chickpea Pasta

Chickpeas are a great tasty way to add some protein to frugal pasta dishes :

• Easy Chickpea Spaghetti
• Roasted Chickpea Pasta
• Pasta E Ceci

Easy Chickpea Spaghetti

This easy chickpea spaghetti is ready in no time for a quick supper.

Time To Table : 15 mins

Ingredients : chickpeas, spaghetti, creme fraiche, spinach, parmesan, lemon, shallots, garlic.

If you don't have creme fraiche you could use up any last scrapings of cream cheese, natural yoghurt, cream, mascarpone etc or just butter!

Roasted Chickpea Pasta

This roasted chickpea pasta is similar to the last recipe but ups the flavour a little more by roasting the chickpeas.

Time To Table : 25 mins

Ingredients : chickpeas, pasta, parmesan, spinach, butter, garlic, rosemary, thyme, chilli flakes, lemon juice.

Pasta E Ceci

Traditional Italian pasta e ceci is basically a chickpea alternative to frugal favourite pasta e fagioli.

Time To Table : 35 mins

Ingredients : chickpeas, small pasta, tomato paste, broth, kale, pecorino/parmesan or similar, onion, garlic, rosemary.

Chickpea Stir Fry

This incredibly quick classic Indian chickpea stir-fry or tawa chole is perfect for an instant supper when the cupboard is bare bar a can of chickpeas and assorted spices!!

Time To Table : 5 mins

Ingredients : chickpeas, garlic, ginger, green chillies, coriander powder, garam masala, cumin, paprika, turmeric, lemon juice.

Roasted Chickpeas

Roasted chickpeas are a brilliant healthy snack the whole family will love that can be made from scratch easily :

• Simple Roasted Chickpeas
• Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
• Quick Pan Fried Chickpeas

Simple Roasted Chickpeas

You can roast chickpeas for 20 minutes on a baking sheet with just a little oil and salt to get them crispy.

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Or for spicy roast chickpeas toss them halfway in your favourite spices, e.g. cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground coriander.

Quick Pan Fried Chickpeas

You can also quick pan fry chickpeas in your fave spices in undder 10 minutes.

And there you go, over 30 easy chickpea recipes perfect for tasty healthy meals you can make from scratch simply.

For more tasty quick recipes you can whip up cheaply to avoid processed food follow me on Pinterest ...