Mistakes Everyone Makes With Chickpeas

Research suggests that Americans are not eating enough nutrient-dense plant-based foods. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only around 10% of adults in the U.S. are eating enough vegetables, while just over 12% are eating enough fruit. This is concerning, because plant-based whole foods are rich in important nutrients, like fiber, for example, which can help with digestion, gut health, and may even reduce the risk of chronic diseases, according to research.

But the good news is that, while they may struggle to do it all of the time, Americans do want to eat more nutritious foods. In 2023, the World Economic Forum stated that around half of Americans are trying to make healthier decisions with their diets. If you're among them, we have a recommendation: chickpeas. This legume is one of the best plant-based foods to start incorporating into your diet for a number of reasons. First, they're easy to prepare (especially when they're canned). But they're also rich in nutrients (including fiber, protein, and essential vitamins and minerals, like folate, iron, and manganese) and they're incredibly versatile, too — you can add them to everything from salads to pasta to curries.

But before you start cooking, we have a few tips and tricks for you to keep in mind. This will help you get the most out of your chickpeas, and stop you from wasting time on some of the most common mistakes associated with this versatile legume.

Canned chickpeas are incredibly handy. They have a long shelf life, for starters, and can last for many years if they're unopened (as long as the can is in good condition — if it starts to rust, throw it out). They're also easy to use and versatile. But that said, they're not necessarily the best choice for every recipe that calls for chickpeas. Some recipes, like falafel, for example, will work better with dried chickpeas.

While plenty of falafel recipes do call for canned chickpeas, this is not the traditional way. In Middle Eastern countries like Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq, the dish is nearly always made with dried chickpeas. This is because the resulting falafel has a much firmer consistency — using canned chickpeas could leave you with a mushy, soggy end product. Roasted chickpeas (which make for a tasty, nutritious, plant-based snack) are also much tastier and crispier when made with dried chickpeas. On the other hand, recipes that work well with canned chickpeas include curries and Mediterranean-style salads.

And don't worry: Dried chickpeas will still last for a long time in the pantry. In fact, you can often store them for up to three years without any problems. However, it's important to make sure that they are kept at room temperature to avoid spoilage. If they have changed color, smell bad, or are showing any signs of mold, do not eat them. Instead, throw them away and start again.

Dried chickpeas are a great addition to many recipes, but it's important to know that cooking with them is not the same as the canned variety. Chickpeas in a can are precooked, which means you can just empty them into whatever recipe you're making and they're good to eat straight away. Dried chickpeas, however, cannot be eaten fresh out of the bag. This is because they contain a type of toxin, which is difficult to digest and may make you sick. Specifically, like kidney beans, raw chickpeas contain lectins, which in high amounts, may cause digestive issues. But don't worry: Cooking removes these toxins from the chickpeas, and makes them safe for consumption.

But before you start cooking dried chickpeas, there is another step you need to think about first: soaking. You should always soak dried chickpeas for several hours (at least eight) as this helps to soften them up. If you do not soak your chickpeas first before you start cooking them, they will take much longer to cook.

Presoaking chickpeas will not only reduce cooking time, but it will also make them easier for your body to digest, too. This is because when you soak the legumes, you are also helping to break down the hard-to-digest starches they contain.

When kept at the right temperature, as we stated previously, most dried chickpeas will last a long time in your pantry or cupboard. But if you're concerned about spoilage, another option is to pop them in the freezer to keep them fresh.

Storing dried chickpeas in the freezer is very simple. First, you can prepare them as you usually would, by soaking first and then cooking them either in an Instant Pot or on the stovetop. After that, make sure to let them cool before drying them off. This step is particularly important, because if you leave too much water around the chickpeas, this will also freeze and you'll end up with a block of ice.

After you've dried the chickpeas, you can pop them straight in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and then into the freezer, where they will last somewhere between three and six months. It also makes sense to portion them out at this point. This way, they are easy to grab from the freezer when you're cooking everything from curries to stews to casseroles.

As we mentioned earlier, canned chickpeas are incredibly easy to prepare. For the most part, all you need to do is open the tin and away you go. But there is one thing you should keep in mind before you consume canned chickpeas, and that's the sodium content.

In general, it's important to keep sodium consumption to a minimum, as eating too much on a regular basis can increase blood pressure, which could increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. While chickpeas themselves are packed with nutrients, the solution they are canned with can contain a lot of sodium. In some cases, tinned chickpeas can contain more than 622 milligrams of sodium.

But the good news is, it's easy to reduce the sodium content of canned chickpeas. All you need to do is rinse them first. In fact, research suggests this can reduce excess sodium by as much as 40%. In addition to affecting your health, this sodium can creep into the dish you're making and impact the flavor. If you rinse your chickpeas every time, you'll have a more consistent flavor profile when you're cooking.

While chickpeas are a great source of nutrients, particularly fiber, they don't agree with everyone. In fact, some people are actually allergic to chickpeas, which means that consuming them could result in an allergic reaction. However, most people are not allergic to chickpeas. However, as we mentioned earlier, some may find them hard to digest. This is likely because of their fiber content, which can trigger uncomfortable symptoms like bloating, particularly in people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome.

For some, staying away from chickpeas is the best course of action if they're causing discomfort. However, others find that dehusking them, which is essentially removing the skin, can make them easier to digest. This is because most of a chickpea's fiber content is in its skin. There are a few ways to easily peel several chickpeas in one go.

One trick is to air-dry them before laying them out over a towel. After that, place a second towel over the top and gently move it around. When you remove the top towel, the skins will have started to come loose. Another option is to soak the chickpeas with baking soda and water. This softens them up and loosens the skin so that it falls away when they are cooked. If you're using canned chickpeas, heat them up with the baking soda and water before rinsing and shaking them in your hands until the skin starts to come off.

Without a doubt, chickpeas are a great salad ingredient. They add a pop of protein to a mix of leafy greens, for example, as well as a nice crispy texture (especially if they're roasted first). But this legume is incredibly versatile. Beyond salads, there are many different ways to use them.

Of course, as mentioned earlier, you can use them in crispy Middle Eastern falafel. And they are also the key ingredient in creamy hummus. But they can also be added to curries, too. In fact, chickpeas are a traditional ingredient in an Indian chana masala. In this dish, they are mixed with spices like cumin, coriander, red chili powder, turmeric, and chopped tomatoes to make a flavor-packed curry. You can also add chickpeas to stews, tagines, paella, shepherd's pies, and pasta, for example. In Italy, pasta with chickpeas is called pasta e ceci, and while simple, it's a popular dinner in Central and Southern regions.

On top of this, chickpeas make a great plant-based tuna alternative. When mashed with ingredients like capers and nori seaweed (for that fishy flavor), mayonnaise (for the creamy texture), and sea salt, red onion, and lemon juice, they have a similar taste and texture to tuna salad recipes. You can then enjoy the chickpea tuna in everything from pasta salads to wraps to sandwiches. If you swap the seaweed for kala namak salt, the mix takes on a sulfurous flavor perfect for vegan egg sandwiches, too.

Chickpeas can be boiled, steamed, and pan-fried, but one of the best ways to achieve a nice crispy, crunchy texture on the outside is to roast them in the oven. Doing so also makes the inside of the chickpea even creamier, too.

Roasting chickpeas is simple. All you need are your chickpeas (of course), some olive oil, a little sea salt, and a preheated oven and you're nearly ready to go. If you're using canned chickpeas, just make sure they are as dry as possible before you put them in the oven. If the moisture content is too high, the chickpeas will be soggy. The drier they are, the crispier the end result will be.

When you're placing them in the oven, cover them in oil and salt and then lay them out on a baking tray in one single layer. The chickpeas will take around 30 minutes to roast, and then they're ready for your favorite seasonings. If you choose to season them before they go in the oven, keep a close eye on them as they cook to ensure they don't start burning.

Chickpeas are a tasty addition to many savory dishes, but this versatile legume can also be used in sweet treats, too. In fact, they can be added to everything from blondies to brownies to cookies. They have a very mild flavor, and will help to provide a soft, chewy texture to many different baked goods. Plus, they bring a little extra nutrition to some of your favorite treats, so it's a win-win.

You can even make tasty milkshakes with chickpeas. Simply pop cooked chickpeas in a food processor with your favorite shake ingredients, like almond milk and bananas, for example, and blend until creamy. You'll be surprised at just how thick and velvety the texture is. Chickpea milkshakes are so good, in 2018, New York restaurant Hummus & Pita Co. even started selling them to its customers.

Another great use for blended chickpeas is in chocolate sauce. Similar to the shake, you just pop them in a food processor (without the skins) along with ingredients like cocoa powder, vanilla, and maple syrup and blend until smooth. The result is velvety chocolate sauce that can be poured on everything from ice cream to pancakes.

You might think that the water from the tin of chickpeas is only good for keeping them fresh during storage and should be drained away after opening. But we have to stop you right there. This liquid actually has a name, aquafaba, and it's an incredibly versatile cooking ingredient in its own right. So before you head to the sink, consider pouring your chickpea liquid into a container and saving it in the fridge instead. Important note: If you're doing this, look for canned chickpeas with the lowest sodium content.

Aquafaba was first discovered as a handy ingredient by an American software engineer called Goose Wohlt back in 2015. He mixed the brine from a can of chickpeas with sugar, and the result was fluffy vegan meringues that tasted very similar to the traditional egg white-based version.

Since then, many different chefs, recipe developers, and bloggers have experimented with aquafaba. And it turns out, when it comes to chickpea brine, the limit of potential does not exist. You can use it to thicken up soup broth, for example, or make vegan whipped cream. It can also help you make cloud bread and even give an extra fluffy texture to your morning plate of scrambled eggs.

There are two varieties of chickpeas. No, we're not talking about dried or canned, we're talking about desi and kabuli (and there are also many different subtypes within these groups). The type of chickpea you're probably most familiar with is kabuli, which is also known as a garbanzo bean, and has a smooth surface and light brown color. This is the variety you'll find in most American grocery stores. As we touched on above, it can be used in everything from salads to vegan tuna to brownies.

Desi chickpeas tend to be smaller than the kabuli variety, and they are slightly darker, too. This variety, which has a nuttier taste, is usually grown in India. In fact, about 90% of the world's desi chickpeas are eaten in the country. That's why, if you're cooking a curry or an Indian-style stew, the most authentic chickpea choice for the recipe is likely a desi chickpea.

If you're making homemade hummus, the best type of chickpea to use is a Middle Eastern chickpea, which is usually a variety of kabuli. This is because it has a creamier texture, thanks to the extra starch content.

If you open a can of chickpeas, rinse, and then dump them straight on top of your salad, you'll get all the nutrients, sure, and maybe a little tang if they've been stored in brine, but the flavor won't be that exciting. This is because on their own, although they are slightly nutty, chickpeas have a pretty mild taste. But, as with most foods, the right combination of spices and herbs can transform a bland ingredient into a flavor bomb.

First, start with the basics, and by that we mean salt and pepper, of course. After that, you can start adding the real flavor. If you're sticking with a Middle Eastern-style recipe, za'atar is a strong choice. The earthy spice and herb blend is popular in many Middle Eastern countries. Za'atar is a simple mix of ingredients like thyme, marjoram, toasted sesame seeds, sumac, and oregano, and it complements the mild flavor of chickpeas well.

If you prefer a little heat, you can also mix chickpeas with ingredients like cayenne pepper, chili powder, or your favorite hot sauce. Like it smoky? Chickpeas also pair well with paprika and sweet barbecue sauce. In fact, whatever flavors you're craving, chickpeas offer the perfect blank canvas to pair them with.