Chickpeas: Vegan Cooking Guide
Chickpeas are the backbone of plant-based cooking - creamy, versatile and full of protein. Grown in the Middle East and South Asia for millennia, they absorb spices beautifully and hold their shape under long cooking. You'll find them in tins, dried, or as flour (gram flour) in most supermarkets.
How to Use Chickpeas
Drain and rinse tinned chickpeas before use. For curries, leave them whole; for hummus or soups, blend or mash. Roast with spice for a crunchy snack or salad topper.
Nutrition
A 100g serving provides 8g protein, 7g fibre, and good amounts of iron and folate.
Chef's Tips
- Save the liquid from a tin of chickpeas - it's aquafaba, a brilliant egg-white substitute for meringues and mousses.
- Tinned chickpeas are already cooked; dried ones need 8 - 12 hours soaking followed by 45 - 60 minutes boiling.
- A pinch of bicarbonate of soda in the soaking water helps dried chickpeas cook faster and more evenly.
→ Find the best substitutes for chickpeas
Vegan Recipes Using Chickpeas
Learn to cook with chickpeas on video
Our Cook Like A Pro course covers vegan cooking techniques including how to get the most from plant-based proteins, flavour bases and dairy alternatives. Watch step-by-step with chefs Rupert Worden and Lisa Hinze.
Explore the course Browse all UK ingredients