34 Reasons Chickpeas Deserve a Place in Your Pantry

Hummus, soups, salads, and pancakes—these chickpea recipes do it all

By SAVEUR Editors
March 3, 2017

Rich in fiber and other nutrients, and plenty delicious, chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans) are one of our favorite proteins. Chickpeas feature heavily in Middle Eastern Recipes. With just a little love, you can make the most of chickpeas. Creamy and rich when made just right, they are even better than the best bean recipes we could find. Braise them for a stew, purée them, or grind them into flour—then use them to make one of these recipes, our favorite ways to cook chickpeas.

FALAFEL WITH TAHINI

Falafel With Tahini

The seasoned chickpea mixture for this falafel should have a coarse texture. This will ensure a crisp shell and a moist interior. Get the recipe for Falafel With Tahini »Matt Taylor-Gross

Roasted Rack Of Lamb with Roasted Pumpkin and Chickpea Salad

Roasted Rack Of Lamb with Roasted Pumpkin and Chickpea Salad
The flavors of fall and winter are perfectly represented in this simple and elegant meal. Get the recipe for Roasted Rack Of Lamb with Roasted Pumpkin and Chickpea Salad »Farideh Sadeghin

Chickpea and Pasta Soup

Chickpea and Pasta Soup
This soup is a meal in and of itself, full of lots of vegetables, chickpeas, and pasta.Farideh Sadeghin
Sprouted Chickpea Socca with Herb Salad and Yogurt

Sprouted Chickpea Socca with Herb Salad and Yogurt

These thick, dinner pancakes are filled with cilantro, warm spices, and nutrient rich sprouted chickpeas. Get the recipe for Sprouted Chickpea Socca with Herb Salad and Yogurt »Ryan Liebe
Scallops with Stewed Chickpeas and Tomatoes

Scallops with Stewed Chickpeas and Tomatoes

Scallops might not be the heartiest, but when you combine them with a chickpea stew you're guaranteed to stay cozy on cooler nights.Justin Walker
Spiced Chickpeas (Chana Masala)

Spiced Chickpeas (Chana Masala)

Chana masala is a simple chickpea stew with many variations, eaten by a multitude of people across India.Penny De Los Santos
Potato and Chickpea Snack (Aloo Chana Chaat)

Potato and Chickpea Snack (Aloo Chana Chaat)

Potato and chickpeas are flavored with an earthy combination of mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves, and chiles in this classic Indian street snack. The savory mixture is topped with crunchy fried chickpea noodles and sometimes dressed in tamarind, mint, or cilantro-yogurt chutneys.James Roper
Green Hummus

Green Hummus

This recipe comes from test kitchen assistant Jake Cohen, inspired by a similar hummus he tried while working at Restaurant Daniel in New York City. Fresh chickpeas provide a vibrant green color and brightness that pair well with the Asian flavors in this dip.Matt Taylor-Gross
Grilled Octopus with Chickpeas, Tomatoes and Anchovy Vinaigrette

Grilled Octopus with Chickpeas, Tomatoes and Anchovy Vinaigrette

Tacolicious owner Sara Deseran first discovered this smoky salad, from Neil Fraser of LA's Redbird, while cooking at the annual Sabores San Miguel festival in Mexico. The trick to getting tender, flavorful octopus is boiling it first, then marinating and grilling it.Farideh Sadeghin
Argentine Pork, Veal, and Hominy Stew (Locro)

Argentine Pork, Veal, and Hominy Stew (Locro)

"In Argentina, I fell for the gauchos and their locro—a stew of squash, meat, and hominy. It was creamy and slightly sweet, and its garnishing sauce, made with paprika, provided a festive burst of spice and color" —Virginie Blachere, photographerVirginie Blanchère
Cabbage Fritters (Cabbage Vepadu)

Cabbage Fritters (Cabbage Vepadu)

Cookbook author Madhur Jaffery describes these spidery-looking cabbage-and-peanut fritters as looking like little Medusa heads, "with the strands of shredded cabbage providing a crunchy, unruly halo." A popular item in the mess halls of the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, they can be served as part of a meal or as a crunchy snack.Ingalls Photography

Pumpkin-Chickpea Curry

Pumpkin-Chickpea Curry
With warming notes of curry and cinnamon, this hearty vegetable curry is perfect for a cozy meal.Helen Rosner
Chickpea Fritters in Curry (Besan Curry)

Chickpea Fritters in Curry (Besan Curry)

This Jain-style curry pairs airy chickpea fritters with a creamy, tangy sauce.Ingalls Photography

Chickpea Stew with Lamb, Pork, and Veal (Cozido de Grão)

Chickpea Stew with Lamb, Pork, and Veal (Cozido de Grão)
Chickpeas are bolstered with spicy sausage and three kinds of meat in a filling stew served at País das Uvas in Vila de Frades, Portugal. Get the recipe for Chickpea Stew with Lamb, Pork, and Veal »Todd Coleman
Fried Chickpea-Battered Potatoes (Bhajiya)

Fried Chickpea-Battered Potatoes (Bhajiya)

For this Mumbai street-food snack from Raghavan Iyer, chunks of potato are dredged in a light chickpea-and-rice-flour batter that is spiced with turmeric and chile powder. The potatoes are then deep fried until a golden crust forms and served with cilantro and tamarind chutneys. The spiced batter can be also used for other vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli florets, sliced plantain, and eggplant.Ingalls Photography
Salt Cod, Chickpea, and Egg Salad (Salada de Bacalhau a Grão-de-Bico)

Salt Cod, Chickpea, and Egg Salad (Salada de Bacalhau a Grão-de-Bico)

Alentejo's traditional salt cod, chickpeas, and hard-boiled eggs are combined into an elegant petisco, the Portuguese version of tapas.Todd Coleman
Curried Yogurt Stew (Kadhi)

Curried Yogurt Stew (Kadhi)

Chickpea flour acts as a stabilizer, preventing yogurt from curdling in this aromatic soup.André Baranowski
Hot Mix (Indian Spiced Snack Mix)

Hot Mix (Indian Spiced Snack Mix)

There are countless varieties of this ubiquitous Indian snack mix, made with varying combinations of nuts, fruit, spices, and other ingredients. Cookbook author Smita Chandra's version of the addictive nibble is the best we've had, with four kinds of nuts (cashew, peanut, almond, pistachio), plus sweet raisins, nutty coconut, and poha, dried flattened rice flakes.Ingalls Photography
Palestinian Couscous with Chicken and Chickpeas (Maftoul)

Palestinian Couscous with Chicken and Chickpeas (Maftoul)

This hearty couscous dish is layered with chickpeas and bathed in a broth fragrant with garlic and lemon, and served with crisp-skinned chicken.Ariana Lindquist

Persian Chicken Meatball Soup (Gundi)

Persian Chicken Meatball Soup (Gundi)
At the heart of this intriguing soup is a matzo-ball-like dumpling made of ground chicken and chickpea flour.Eilon Paz
Couscous Royale

Couscous Royale

A plate of fluffy couscous is lavished with meatballs, lamb chops, chicken skewers, merguez sausage, and a saffron-scented chickpea stew in this celebratory dish, a staple at Moroccan restaurants in Paris.Landon Nordeman

Chickpeas with Pita and Spiced Yogurt (Fattet Hummus)

Chickpeas with Pita and Spiced Yogurt (Fattet Hummus)
Across the Levant, you will find variations on fatteh, dishes built on toasted or fried day-old bread. The term comes from the Arabic word "fatta", meaning to crumble bread. In this Lebanese version from author Fouad Kassab's mother Isabelle, brown butter tops a layered dish of baked pita and chickpeas tossed with spiced yogurt. To save time, soak the chickpeas in water and baking soda: the alkilinity of the soda breaks down the beans' cellular walls and can reduce cooking time by thirty five minutes.James Oseland
Galilean-Style Hummus (Hummus Maushaushe)

Galilean-Style Hummus (Hummus Maushaushe)

Generous spice, a good dose of olive oil, and chickpeas piled high are the hallmarks of this Galilean-style hummus.Eilon Paz
Chickpea-flour Dumplings in Spiced Tomato Sauce (Dharan Ji Kadhi)

Chickpea-flour Dumplings in Spiced Tomato Sauce (Dharan Ji Kadhi)

This rich dish features chickpea-flour dumplings, a Sindhi specialty.Ariana Lindquist
Hummus with Tahini

Hummus with Tahini

This velvety dip is a classic—we like it garnished with pickles and served with plenty of toasted pita chips.Penny De Los Santos
Okra in Yogurt

Okra in Yogurt

This vibrant okra stew is thickened with chickpea flour.James Oseland
Spiced Chickpea-Flour Snacks

Spiced Chickpea-Flour Snacks

The batter for this snack has to be of the right consistency—not too wet, not too dry—when you spread it out for rolling, so test a spoonful of it on a plate first.James Oseland

Mediterranean Mussel and Chickpea Soup with Fennel and Lemon

Mediterranean Mussel and Chickpea Soup with Fennel and Lemon
Light enough for a summer dish, this terrific soup is also delicious in the winter months made with Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) mussels instead.Geoffrey Smith

Cipollini Onion Hummus

Cipollini Onion Hummus
Gently browned cipollini onions add an unexpected hint of caramel sweetness to this hummus, deepening its earthy flavors.Leah Koenig
Crispy Calamari with Pesto Mayonnaise

Crispy Calamari with Pesto Mayonnaise

Chef Jim Leiken of DBGB in New York City serves pesto-spiked mayonnaise as a dipping sauce for fried calamari, cauliflower, and chickpeas.Todd Coleman
Lebanese-Style Green Beans with Chickpeas in Olive Oil (Loubieh wa Hommus bi Ziet)

Lebanese-Style Green Beans with Chickpeas in Olive Oil (Loubieh wa Hommus bi Ziet)

Slow-cooked vegetable dishes like this one, a cumin-and paprika-spiced stew of beans and tomatoes, are a standby in many parts of the Middle East. Here, tomatoes and green beans release some of their flavor into the cooking liquid, creating a rich broth.Todd Coleman
Chickpea Salad (Salade de Pois Chiches)

Chickpea Salad (Salade de Pois Chiches)

This bright, slightly spicy salad is great served alongside roasted chicken.Todd Coleman
Hummus with Hen of the Woods Mushrooms

Hummus with Hen of the Woods Mushrooms

A tangle of fried mushrooms provides textural contrast and a savory boost to this silky hummus.Todd Coleman
Chickpea-Flour Crepes (Socca)

Chickpea-Flour Crepes (Socca)

This rosemary-scented chickpea-flour crepe is a mainstay of southern French markets.Landon Nordeman
Chickpeas with Mango Pickle (Zalata Amba)

Chickpeas with Mango Pickle (Zalata Amba)

The recipe for this zesty Iraqi salad, which uses pickled mango, comes from the cart Aladdin's Castle Cafe.Todd Coleman
Roasted Garlic Chickpea Burger

Roasted Garlic Chickpea Burger

We took inspiration from falafel when developing these burgers—but unlike the dense, often dry deep-fried chickpea fritters, this sautéed patty is both light and rich in texture, with added depth from roasted garlic.Helen Rosner
Falafel

Falafel

Any way you make it, there is nothing like falafel's first bite: the crisp-fried exterior giving way to a creamy center of seasoned mashed beans, garlic, and parsley.Todd Coleman

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