Simple Recipes to Use Leftover Chickpeas

Got a half-eaten tin of chickpeas? Here are some recipes ideas, beyond hummus! Like this one-pot chickpeas and rice (Exploring Vegan). And don’t throw away the water. You can whizz it up with a little sugar to make vegan meringue. Really

Once opened, store leftover tinned chickpeas in a covered bowl, for food safety. For tinned ingredients, pop lids inside cans (or pop ring-pulls back over holes) to avoid wildlife getting trapped).

Before cooking, read our post on food safety for people and pets (many foods including onion, garlic, garlic and spices are unsafe near animal friends). It’s best to just bin allium scraps (leeks, onion, garlic, shallots, chives) as like tomato/citrus/rhubarb scraps, acids could harm compost creatures. 

Chickpea Pasta Soup

This chickpea pasta soup (The Simple Veganista) is way more tasty, nutritious and filling than a cup-a-soup or can of watery minestrone. It’s also very rich in protein and calcium due to chickpeas (garbanzo beans).

Easy to make in one pot, this is ready for the table in around 30 minutes. It uses tons of veggies (carrots, celery, onion), a vegan  bouillon powder, herbs and bite-size pasta. So simple to make, you just fry the veggies and herbs, add the stock and chickpeas, boil and cook, then served with cooked pasta.

If you make a lot of homemade soup, it’s worth investing in a good stick blender, to save the faff of washing blenders all the time. It’s UK law that whoever sells it to you, has to take your old appliance back for recycling.

You could also use Souper Cubes. Sold in Lakeland, these are like giant silicone ice-cube trays. Just pour in cooled leftovers and freeze. Then when you want soup, just pop a portion out and thaw overnight in the fridge, before cooking up to a safe temperature. That way, you can make bigger batches, even if you are only cooking for one or two, with no food waste. Use with plastic-free pasta!

Vegan Chickpea Piccata

This chickpea piccata (Exploring Vegan) coats chickpeas in a salty briney sauce, and serves with  glossy pasta. Sure to become a weeknight favourite dish.

Onion, Potato and Chickpea Soup

This onion, potato and chickpea soup (Exploring Vegan) is a simple 5-ingredient recipe, ideal for a warming supper on cold autumn or winter nights. It’s a simple case of caramelizing fresh onions, then adding potatoes and tinned drained chickpeas with water or veggie stock. Then simmering until ready.

Simple Vegan Chickpea Curry

This vegan chickpea curry (Broke Bank Vegan) is high on taste and high in protein, yet is made with simple ingredients, and only takes 25 minutes.

Chickpea Tikka Masala

Who said that tikka masala has to be made from chicken? This chickpea tikka masala (Jessica in the Kitchen) is by a professional cook, and blasts with flavour.