All Hail the Chickpea!: 12 Yummy Garbanzo Bean Recipes


Delicious Chickpea Recipes

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I amazed my friends over the weekend when I let it slip that I’ve eaten the same thing for lunch pretty much every day for the past year. And no, I’m not remotely bored with it.

What is this magical dish, you ask? A chickpea salad. More specifically: a salad with chickpeas, tomatoes, quinoa (or brown rice) and baby spinach, topped with cumin, lemon juice and a light drizzle of olive oil. It’s amazing for three reasons: I can throw it together in less than five minutes, the ingredients are super cheap, and it doesn’t wilt or get soggy, even though I make it in the morning and eat it five hours later. Oh, and this salad is ridiculously filling, too, so there’s that.

Of course, whether or not you like my salad hinges on whether or not you like chickpeas. I can’t get enough of them (clearly), so this is just fine by me. And it’s a good thing, too: the half cup I eat in my salad every day lends about 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber to my daily intake.

If you’re a chickpea lover like me, here are 12 other recipes in which garbanzos play a starring role.

Crisp Chickpea Slaw
via Health.com

Coleslaw is often too drenched in dressing for my taste. This one, which features chickpeas, goes lighter, with a yogurt-based dressing for some extra protein.

Spiced Chickpea “Nuts”
via Eating Well

Roast your chickpeas, douse them seasoning and—poof!—you’ve got a crunchy snack that’ll take care of all your potato-chip cravings.

Chickpea-Yogurt Dip
via Bon Appétit

This dip uses Greek yogurt to help lighten it up. And it works: a serving will set you back just over 100 calories.

Braised Coconut Spinach and Chickpeas with Lemon
via TheKitchn

It never would have dawned on me to mix chickpeas with coconut milk. Now I’m intrigued.

Creamy Cashew Kale and Chickpeas
via Vegangela

The nuts here add even more protein. I mean, you may never be hungry again!

Spring Fever Chickpea Quinoa Soup
via Woman in Real Life

This is basically my salad with a few more ingredients, in soup version. On second thought, I guess it’s not my salad at all. But it still looks delish.

Chickpea Patties
via Macheesmo

Garbanzos go Greek in this riff on a bean burger.

Smashed Chickpea Salad
via This Homemade Life

One word: genius. Nine more words: never eat an over-mayo’d tuna salad sandwich again.

Taco Chickpeas
via EatReal LiveWell

Chickpeas, meet my other favorite food: anything Mexican.

Chickpeas and Balsamic Vinegar Bruschetta
vía Real Simple

This might be the easiest appetizer ever.

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Beets, Chickpeas and Orange
via Gluten-Free Goddess

Hmm, my salad might have some serious competition here.

Roasted Zucchini with Chickpeas and Lemon Zest
via Pickled Plum

Bookmark this one for your summer barbecues. I sure am.