There's nothing worse than coming home from a long day of work to find that you have basically nothing in your fridge. This is when I turn to my pantry and pray I have SOMETHING in there to give me sustenance. Best case scenario? I've got chickpeas! They're filling, full of protein, and super versatile. From snacking, to dinner, to dessert (!) these lil guys are a true weeknight hero.
Hummus is always at your fingertips.
If you’ve got a food processor (or blender) and chickpeas, you’ve basically got hummus. You don’t even need tahini! Just one big glug of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and a clove or two of garlic = healthy dip in minutes, with stuff you’ve already got in your pantry! Have some fresh herbs on hand? Maybe some leftover roasted veggies? Throw ‘em in! Hummus is super forgiving and homemade is always miles better than the store bought stuff.
You’ve got a killer chip replacement.
Did you know that chickpeas are AMAZING roasted? All you gotta do is drain and dry them, then toss them with olive oil and bake for a half hour at 375℉. Once they’re crisped up, you can toss them with your favorite spices — I love them with cumin and chili powder but you could go wild and try taco seasoning or even powdered Ranch! Bonus: they make amazing “croutons” too.
They make lame soups AMAZING.
Much like adding potatoes or grains to the base of a soup, pureeing chickpeas into a veggie soup makes it incredibly smooth and creamy. The difference? Chickpeas add a healthy dose of protein, and are completely grain free!
Aquafaba.
Now, you might be wondering, WTF is Aquafaba!? Aquafaba is the liquid leftover in a can of chickpeas, and it’s basically magic. When whipped with a hand mixer, it turns into a white fluffy cloud like egg whites. Perfect for vegan recipes, you can substitute whipped aquafaba anywhere you’d use whipped egg whites. That includes meringues, macarons, waffles, and so much more! Plus, no leftover egg yolks. Told ya, magic!
Follow Delish on Instagram.
