Chickpeas – Three Ways

Oh the chickpea. We go WAY back.

Roasted. Puree. Spiced. Smashed. The little legume has been staring in my vegetarian (now vegan) dishes since the 1990s. There’s so much you can do with this versatile legume and thanks to the Internet, I am learning new ways to use chickpeas in my cooking.

I know many of you may only associate chickpeas or garbanzo beans with hummus (and that’s awesome because hummus is awesome). Let me tell you there is nothing that the mighty chickpea can’t do. 

Chickpeas are easy to find and inexpensive. Because sharing recipes on the Internet was not a thing yet (this was the 1990s), I basically added them to everything. I had many failed attempts at soaking them and cooking on the stove. Therefore I bought the canned ones. (Still healthly but often with added salt and the waste of a tinned can.) Thank goodness those days are over.

It’s a new day, it’s a new year. Let’s have some fun with those chickpeas. I want to share with you three of my favourite things to do with chickpeas.

Best Hummus Ever

I used to follow the standard – can of chickpeas, tahini, oil, lemon juice and garlic – recipe for hummus for years. Then one day I started to experiment with spices and beans. I know some people say hummus made at home isn’t as good as the kind you get in a restaurant or a grocery store. Not true.

You won’t be disappointed if you add a few of the tricks that I have picked up from friends over the years.

Blender vs. food processor

I have a Vitamix so I am able to make my hummus in it with little mess and fuss. Some people make their hummus in a food processor. I don’t think it really matters. Use what you have and make it work.

Tahini vs. sesame seeds

Bringing the Vitamix home was everything to me. It has been life changing – no joke! I used to use ground sesame seeds as opposed to using tahini (sesame paste) in my hummus. I thought it would taste more genuine and I could save some time and money. In the end, I found that tahini tasted better in my hummus. Making a sesame paste added more time to my dump and blend hummus.

Canned vs. dried chickpeas

I had no choice to use canned beans before I owned an Instant Pot. Rather I had a choice but I did not want to spend the time soaking then cooking the chickpeas with no guaranteed results. Canned beans are great if you don’t own a pressure cooker and you are short in time. However I will never buy another can (unless it’s a food emergency) because I now have a constant rotation of beans.

I really, really like the flavour of chickpeas after I take them out of the instant pot. They taste amazing and they are even more amazing as a base for the hummus.

Thick vs. thin

I am a fan of making thick hummus so I can use it for spreads. It’s so versatile this way. On the other hand, if it is super thin you can use it as a salad dressing. Choice is yours.

Ready for the tips? It’s not terribly earth shattering. I like to add 1/4 cup of pickle juice, a couple of pickled peppers and a pinch of salt to the basic hummus recipe. Trust me the pickle juice is what you have been missing all these years.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Crystal Rhyno (@crystalrhyno)

---

Best Chickpea Salad Ever

Like most legumes and beans, you can dump a cup of chickpeas on a bed of lettuce and call it a salad. It’s that easy. And it’s that boring. I like to look at the chickpea like a simple canvas. I can do whatever I want with it to create a master piece. It all comes down to flavouring and pairing.

I like to have fun with my salads because I eat A LOT of them. There was a time when I used to eat Buddha Bowls every day and the chickpea would always make an appearance. With my salads, though, I often like to have the chickpea the main attraction.

With the explosion of food blogging and influencers, you would not be hard pressed to find a simple chickpea recipe to whip up for tonight’s dinner. I don’t like to spend a lot of time reading recipes and juggling measuring cups. I like to go by feel and what’s in my refrigerator. Some of my best salads were born out of a half-empty fridge.

• 

• 

• 

There are many options for using chickpeas in a salad – you can mash them up, roast or marinate them. Lately I have been making chickpea and broccoli salads (with celery for crunch). It’s a wonderful pairing. I like to chop up the broccoli so the chickpea remains the star of the dish. Really there are so many options. Why not have some fun and see what you can whip up tonight?

---

Roasted chickpeas – Choose your flavour

I noticed over the last year or so you can now buy crunch chickpeas as snacks in the grocery store. Don’t do it. They are crap. Turn that can of chickpeas into a snack that you can have for the day or add to your salads for an extra bit of crunch. You can have fun with the flavours and know exactly what you are putting in your body.

Roasted barbecue chickpeas were my absolute favourite until I discovered salt and vinegar chickpeas. (Click for my recipe.) They really are AMAZING. Bet you just can’t have one.

The trick for roasting chickpeas is to not go crazy with oil. Otherwise you might be disappointed. I use a dab of oil and I am quite liberal with the spices (maybe too much).

I store my chickpeas on the counter in a mason jar. They stay crunchy for about a day or so then they become a little soft. (Honestly they don’t last more than a day in this house. They are so good!)

Just add chickpeas

You should add chickpeas do to your diet because … the Canadian Food Guide says so. Seriously chickpeas are SO ridiculously healthy packed with minerals, fibre, plant-based protein and vitamins. You really cannot go wrong.

I see a lot of people use chickpeas in baking. I am not much of a baker so I haven’t tried this yet. Maybe one day soon. Please let me know in the comments below how you are using this mighty legume. I would love to hear your salad and hummus tips too.