Chickpeas: 8 healthy recipes with this rich and versatile food

Are you in the habit of eating chickpeas? If you don’t have it, after our recipes and tips, you will certainly include it in your diet. It is a powerful legume that has essential nutrients for health and that cannot be missing in a healthy diet. So learn with us how to make chickpeas.

How to make easy chickpeas

Chickpeas require some care that require a longer time to prepare. So, a good tip is to cook a reasonable amount. That way, you can freeze it and whenever you need it, you’ll have it ready to be consumed in the recipe you want. Check out how to do it:

Ingredients

• 1 kg of raw chickpeas;
• Water for soaking and cooking;
• 3 tablespoons of vinegar.

How to make

Before starting the explanation, it is important to know that the process of soaking the chickpeas is sometimes essential, as it will rid the food of substances that usually hinder digestibility. Come on?

1. Soak the beans in a large bowl of water at room temperature, covering an average of three fingers;
2. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon;
3. After 4 hours change the water. Drain the beans well, cover them again with clean water and once again add 1 tablespoon of vinegar. This is a non-essential step, but it will help with the digestibility of the grain;
4. Soak for 8 hours — ideally for more than 12 hours;
5. Discard the water again;
6. Cover the hydrated beans with a finger of water and take them to the fire until it boils. Also discard this water and clean the pan and beans well to remove the foam that forms;
7. After that, test the texture of the grains;
8. Return the beans to the pan and cover with three fingers of room temperature water;
9. Put the pan on the fire and wait until it boils under pressure, test every 5 minutes so that the beans are “al dente”;
10. Once they are cooked, transfer the beans to a container so that they cool well;
11. When they are cool, store them for freezing. In the freezer they can stay up to 3 months, in the fridge for up to a week.

Make sure that if the day is hot, leave the chickpeas to soak in the fridge – to prevent the beans from fermenting.

Other ways to make chickpeas

There are a thousand and one ways to use chickpeas in recipes. Check out some interesting suggestions that will make you want to go to your kitchen right now!

1. Quick chickpeas

Who doesn’t like a quick and practical recipe, right? In this recipe, there is no need to go through multiple sauces and boils. After the soaking process, the beans go straight to the pressure cooker and then just wait a little bit and that’s it!

2. Canned chickpeas

What do you think about always having chickpeas on hand? Quite an ease, do you agree? So don’t waste time and keep a good supply of this super-protein and healthy legume in your freezer. That way, you won’t have to rely on canned foods, which are full of sodium, and whenever you need, you can make your favorite treats.

3. Crispy Chickpeas

Can you imagine a crispy, delicious and still very nutritious snack? Well, that’s what this recipe promises, an aperitif that will be able to accompany that beer with friends. Easy to make, you will only need extra virgin olive oil and some seasonings, such as salt, pepper and Indian curry. Therein lies the versatility of chickpeas!

4. Chickpea Stroganoff

For those who love stroganoff, diversifying the recipe with this protein and nutritious ingredient is an excellent request, isn’t it? If you are a vegetarian and enjoy recipes of the genre, beauty, you will taste the delights of this dish, traditionally made with meat, shrimp or chicken. If not, excellent too, after all it is another alternative to diversify this delicacy.

5. Chickpea salad

A salad with nutritious ingredients such as zucchini, carrots and peas is a great tip for those who want a lighter and healthier meal. This is a quick and simple recipe to make. For those who are on a diet and want to diversify their salads, this is an excellent option.

6. Chickpea paste (hommus) recipe

It is impossible to taste hummus and not fall in love with this Arab delicacy. This chickpea paste recipe uses tahini, water, salt, lemon and garlic. Practical, easy and quick, you can serve it as an antipasto, toast, pita and even in salads.

7. Chickpea pancake

Have you ever thought about eating a pancake that, in addition to delicious, is super healthy? Well, this pancake recipe only uses chickpeas and salt. A very different variation of the traditional type. Place the amount you prefer in the frying pan, as some prefer the very thin and others the thicker. Healthy, easy to make and delicious. Everything we want, right?

8. Chickpea burger

We cannot deny that fast foods are delicious and practical, do you agree? However, we know that they are not considered healthy. Have you ever thought about replacing the traditional burger with the chickpea variation? This recipe shows us that it is perfectly possible to make this type of meal healthier.

Did you see how it is possible to diversify your menu with chickpeas? Using creativity, you can add this ingredient to various types of dishes, just by having it in your freezer always at hand! Enjoy and also see some pea soup recipes.