12 Quick and Easy Dinners That Start With a Can of Chickpeas

It's time to reach into your pantry for that can of chickpeas. Here are our favorite quick and easy recipes to turn them into the most satisfying dinner your whole family will love.

By
Julie & Amy Luxemberg
Vibing Vegans
Julie & Amy Luxemberg
Sisters Julie & Amy Luxemberg are self-taught vegan chefs, recipe developers, and content creators.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Published February 26, 2023
Vibing Vegans
3 chickpea recipes

Simply Recipes / Wanda Abraham

What’s not to like about canned chickpeas? (They’re sometimes called garbanzo beans, or adoringly chi chi beans in our house.) They are affordable, packed with protein, convenient, and so versatile. You can easily transform a can of chickpeas into all kinds of delicious meals—creamy hummus, crispy falafel, crunchy salad toppers, and hearty stews. As vegans, we incorporate chickpeas into our meals on a regular basis. 

We’ve gathered 12 easy and complete dinners that all start with a can of our most beloved legume and can be made in about one hour—most take a lot less time. These recipes don’t skimp on flavor, texture, or plant-based protein.

  • Chana Masala

    Best Chana Masala bowl of chana masala with rice, and lemon wedge
    Prerna Singh

    Chana masala is one of our favorite chickpea dinners. It’s classic Indian comfort food and every bite makes us feel warm and well fed. It’s great for making ahead and serving with white rice for a quick and easy weeknight meal. You can throw in peas for extra protein or more vegetables like eggplant or cauliflower.

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  • Cauliflower Chickpea Curry

    Cauliflower Chickpea Curry
    Elise Bauer

    Speaking of cauliflower, this cauliflower chickpea curry uses store-bought yellow curry powder and fresh ginger for aromatics, keeping the sauce simple yet flavorful. Canned chickpeas, cauliflower, and whole peeled tomatoes are the bulk of the meal. We like adding some coconut milk at the end for a creamier curry—it’s such an easily customizable meal!

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  • Vegan Minestrone

    How to Make Minestrone Vegan
    Erin Alderson

    Minestrone is a classic Italian soup that is vegetable heavy—perfect for using up vegetables from the fridge and canned chickpeas and tomatoes from the pantry. The rich tomato broth, crunchy veggies, small pasta, and hearty chickpeas make this a one-pot meal that we come back to again and again.

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  • Paprika Chicken with Chickpeas

    smoky chicken and chickpeas
    Elise Bauer

    The beauty of this meal is that it’s a one-pan-in-the-oven kind of dinner—toss smoky (thanks to the paprika) chickpeas, onions, and the chicken into a casserole and bake. That’s it! The chickpeas provide extra protein and starch, so you won’t have to cook another side dish to serve it with.

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    Continue to 5 of 12 below.

  • Air Fryer Falafel

    air fryer falafel
    Nick Evans

    Air fryer falafel is quick to make and easy to clean up, making it the ideal weeknight dinner. Stuff them into pita pockets with lettuce, tomato, and the simple tahini sauce for the most delicious meal!

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  • Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

    Weeknight Mediterranean chickpea salad on a white plate with a fork and set on a white table with drinks and the serving bowl pictured behind it.
    Alison Bickel

    Chickpeas, artichokes, tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and fresh herbs are the bulk of this bright, tangy salad. Serve it with quinoa or rice, and make extra oregano vinaigrette to have on salads and bowls throughout the week—it’s that good!

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  • Kale Sausage Soup with Tomatoes and Chickpeas

    Kale Sausage Chickpea Soup
    Elise Bauer

    We love all Italian soups and this one delivers on both ease and flavor. Legumes can truly be the star if you sub kidney beans for the sausage like a reader recommends—“I made this without the sausage and with white kidney beans, delicious tomato chicken stock base with Parmesan to add richness.”

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  • Lemon Chicken Chickpea Soup

    Lemon Chicken Chickpea Rice Soup
    Elise Bauer

    This soup is comforting on all levels—it’s a simple chicken soup made with warming spices like turmeric and cumin. Nothing beats the lemony bite of rice and chickpeas in this Moroccan-inspired soup. As vegans, we substitute soy curls and vegetable broth in the place of chicken and chicken stock. It’s so full of flavor.

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    Continue to 9 of 12 below.

  • Easy Sheet Pan Vegan Burritos

    Easy Sheet Pan Vegan Burritos (Cross Section Cut)

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    Roasted veggie burritos are great for feeding a crowd and easy to make ahead. Other than the rice, the rest of the filling is cooked on one sheet pan. The roasted chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and seasoned walnuts give the burritos texture, crunch, and plant-based protein.

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  • Chickpea Panini

    Closeup of a Chickpea Panini

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    As vegans, we’re always making chickpea salad. It’s delicious, filling, and so easy to make. This recipe is no different—it’s perfect for dinner in a pinch. With only a few ingredients, you can have dinner on the table in 10 minutes flat.

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  • Mediterranean Chickpea Bowls with Tahini Sauce

    Mediterranean Chickpea Buddha Bowls
    Sabrina Modelle

    Mediterranean, meet chickpea, again. (They are the perfect match!) This vegan and gluten-free bowl has everything you need for a healthy chickpea-inspired meal. Warning: you are going to get hooked on the tahini dressing—it’s amazing on baked tofu, roasted vegetables, and massaged with kale.

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  • Curry Chickpea-Loaded Baked Potatoes

    Baked Potatoes with Curry Chickpeas assemble the potatoes
    Erin Alderson

    Chickpeas sautéed in a creamy, coconut milk curry are loaded on top of baked potatoes in this easy vegan recipe. Perfect for a night when you want a simple, healthy, and comforting meal.

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