23 Vegan Chickpea Recipes (Gluten-Free)

Looking for vegan chickpea recipes?

Judging by the state of the supermarket shelves, I know you’re all sitting on piles of chickpeas right now! So here’s a list of 23 Vegan Chickpea Recipes, including curries, sandwiches, stews, snacks, rice dishes and even a dessert! These recipes are all gluten-free and refined sugar free and are made using simple plant-based ingredients!

A collage of four vegan chickpea recipes

Chickpeas are a nutritious, delicious and versatile protein source for vegans and vegetarians. They work well for curries, stews and sandwiches, but are also great for adding to pasta or rice dishes, blitzing into hummus or even using for desserts!

Chickpeas are a great pantry staple (for more on this topic, see my 100 Vegan Recipes Using Pantry Staples) and freeze well too (for more on this topic, see my 28 Vegan Freezer Meals).

Should you use canned/tinned chickpeas or dried chickpeas?

You can use either for these recipes. Canned/tinned chickpeas tend to be easier to use as they’re already cooked. Dried chickpeas need to be soaked and cooked first, so do require planning ahead.

Some shops sell chickpeas in jars. In the UK we only see jarred chickpeas in high-end or specialist food shops or European food shops, but in some countries you can get them in the supermarket too. Jarred chickpeas tend to be the best quality as they’re big and super soft.

Tips for cooking with canned/tinned chickpeas

Make sure to drain them well and rinse off any residual liquid before adding to a recipe.
You can keep the leftover liquid that the chickpeas come in. This liquid is called aquafaba and it can be used as a vegan egg white replacement, to be used for recipes such as meringues, mousses and macarons.

Advantages of cooking dried chickpeas from scratch

Dried chickpeas take up less space in the pantry than canned ones.
You can control the texture – so if you want to blend up the chickpeas to use in a hummus, soup, burger or dessert recipe you can cook them until they’re super soft, or you can keep them firmer if you want to use them in a curry or rice dish.
They can be cooked in bulk and stored in the freezer.

How to soak dried chickpeas

Rinse dried chickpeas.
Place chickpeas in a bowl and cover with plenty of water (because the chickpeas will soak up a lot of this water and expand during this process).
Soak for around 8 hours or overnight.

Tip: I like to add 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) when soaking as this makes them softer.

How to cook dried chickpeas on the stovetop

Cooking dried chickpeas from scratch isn’t as hard or as time consuming as you might think!

Drain away the soaking liquid, rinse again and place in a large pot.
Cover with plenty of water and bring to the boil.
Turn down the heat and leave to simmer for 1 and a half to 2 hours, until chickpeas reach the desired texture.
Drain away the cooking liquid once cooked.

Can you cook dried chickpeas in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker?

Yes! It’s much quicker.

Drain away the soaking liquid, rinse again and place in the Instant Pot/pressure cooker.
Cover with plenty of water again and cook on high pressure for around 15 minutes – but it’s best to check the user manual of your specific appliance first as it can really vary between brands etc!
Drain away the cooking liquid once cooked.

How to store cooked chickpeas

Covered in the fridge for up to a few days.
In a Tupperware in the freezer for up to a few months.

Chickpea Korma Curry

A sweet, creamy, mild curry with chickpeas and cauliflower!