I Spent A Week Eating Canned Chickpeas

Ah, yes, the humble canned chickpea. About a dollar a pop and readily available in most local grocery stores, I always keep a couple on hand in my pantry, just in case a sudden desire to make a quick salad or some smooth hummus strikes.

The chickpea is in my top three favorite legumes: second only to peanuts, ahead of lentils because of the superior creaminess they possess. This love led me to thinking: Are we underutilizing the chickpea? I spent the next week brainstorming how to put canned chickpeas into everything from savory pizza to sweet funnel cake—and surprised myself with some true winners. Here are my favorites from the week!

The savory winners

General Tso’s Chickpeas

This recipe was so well-received by viewers that I made a stand-alone recipe page for it! Click the link above to access the whole recipe. People seem to love that it's vegan and pretty much just as delicious as the OG chicken version.

Chickpea Gnocchi

• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained
• 1 large egg yolk
• ¼ c. freshly grated Parmesan
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
• ½ c. all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• Butter, optional
• Pesto, for serving (or vodka sauce)
• Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

1. In a blender, blend oil, chickpea, and egg until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl, then season with salt and pepper.
2. Add ½ cup flour to chickpea mixture and stir until a sticky dough forms. If dough is too sticky, add in up to ¼ cup more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue kneading dough until tacky and springy and no longer wet and sticky. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll each out into a rope about ¾” thick, then cut each rope into ¾” gnocchi pieces.
4. In a pot of salted boiling water, boil desired amount of gnocchi until they float to the surface, about 3 minutes. Drain.
5. If desired, pan fry for a crunchy finish: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Transfer drained gnocchi to pan and cook until golden and seared, tossing occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Serve with pesto, Parmesan, and more black pepper, if desired.

Chickpea Pizza

For the pizza crust

• 1 c. shredded mozzarella
• ¾ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, well drained
• Kosher salt
• Extra virgin olive oil

For the pizza topping

• ⅔ c. shredded mozzarella
• ⅓ c. freshly grated Parmesan
• ½ c. tomato sauce
• Sliced red onions
• Sliced pickled jalapeños
• Cool ranch chickpeas

1. Preheat oven to 400° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor or blender, blend mozzarella, baking powder, garlic powder, pepper, chickpeas, egg, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
2. Shape dough into a 10” circle on baking sheet. Brush dough with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.
3. Bake crust until golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and top with tomato sauce, cheeses, red onions, and pickled jalapeños.
4. Return to oven and continue baking until cheese is melty, 5 to 7 minutes more.

Chickpea Meatballs

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds
• 1 onion, finely chopped, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained well
• 4 large shiitake mushrooms, minced
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
• ¾ c. cooked rice
• ¼ tsp. smoked paprika
• ¼ c. finely chopped parsley
• ¼ c. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 1 large egg
• ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp packed brown sugar
• Zest of ½ lemon

1. In a skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add in fennel seeds, ¼ cup onion, garlic, chickpeas, and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until golden. Remove from heat.
2. Add to skillet soy sauce, rice, parsley, Parmesan, egg, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Add in cooked chickpea mixture and mix until well combined. Form into 12 balls.
3. In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add meatballs and cook, turning every 4 to 5 minutes, until golden on all sides, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer meatballs to a plate.
4. Add remaining onion and sugar to pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft and lightly caramelized, about 7 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer, then return meatballs to pot. Simmer until sauce has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Top with more Parmesan and parsley before serving.

“BBQ” Chickpea Tacos

For the chickpeas:

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained well
• 3 tbsp. ketchup
• 3 tbsp. chipotle sauce
• Kosher salt

For the crema:

• 1 large ripe avocado, halved and pitted
• ½ cup greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• Juice from ½ lime
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
• ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

For serving:

• Red onion
• Avocado crema
• Toasted sunflower seeds
• Lime wedges
• Sliced radishes

1. Make creamy avocado sauce: combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Thin with 1 to 2 tablespoons water if preferred.
2. Make chickpeas: In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add cumin, garlic powder, and paprika and toast until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add onions and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add in chickpeas and let cook until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add ketchup, chipotle, and cook until mixture has darkened slightly, 2 minutes. Season with salt.
3. Assemble tacos: Fill each tortilla with chickpea mixture, a drizzle of sauce, red onions, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and radish on the side.

The sweet winners

Chickpea Funnel Cake

• 1 (15-oz.) can unsalted chickpeas
• 3 tbsp. aquafaba
• ¼ c. granulated sugar
• Pinch kosher salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• Neutral oil, for frying
• Powdered sugar, for serving

1. In a blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. Transfer batter to a piping bag and set aside.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, heat 1” oil to 350°. Cut a ¼” hole in your piping bag and squeeze about ¼ cup batter into oil in a circular pattern. Fry until golden on both sides, flipping halfway, 3 to 4 minutes total. Place on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining batter.
3. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Aquafaba Chocolate Mousse/Ice Cream

• 8 oz. aquafaba
• ¼ tsp. cream of tartar
• 5 oz. melted chocolate, cooled

1. Using a hand mixer, beat aquafaba with cream of tartar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
2. Fold or whisk in half the chocolate until combined, then fold in remaining half of chocolate until fully combined.
3. Transfer half the mixture to a glass and refrigerate until mousse is set, at least 2 hours up to overnight.
4. Transfer the remaining half of chocolate mixture to a container and freeze until hardened into ice cream, at least 4 hours up to overnight.

Chickpea Biscotti

• 1 (15-oz.) can unsalted chickpeas, drained
• 4 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• ½ c. granulated sugar
• ¼ c. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• Zest of ½ lemon
• 1 ¾ c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. toasted almonds and walnuts, halved
• 1 c. chocolate chips, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a large baking sheets with parchment paper and grease with oil.
2. In a blender, blend chickpeas, melted butter, eggs, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and almond extract until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, then fold in flour and almonds.
3. Place dough on prepared baking sheet and pat into a long flat log. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Cut log on the bias into ½”-thick pieces and place back on trays, cut side up.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 325°. Bake until golden, flipping halfway through, about 30 minutes.
5. For slightly soft biscotti, remove from oven and top with chocolate chips. For crunchy biscotti, turn oven off and let biscotti cool inside oven. Spread melted chocolate onto a plate and dip bottoms of biscotti in chocolate. Place on a cooling rack, chocolate side up and let harden.

Chickpea Cookie Dough Balls

• 1 (15-oz.) can unsalted chickpeas, drained
• ¼ c. honey
• 2 tbsp. peanut butter
• 2 tbsp. butter, softened
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• ½ c. chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spread chickpeas out evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes until slightly toasty. Remove from oven and let cool.
2. Using a food processor or a blender, blend cooled chickpeas, honey, peanut butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and fold in chocolate chips.
3. Chill dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour, then portion dough out into 1” balls. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.