Canned chickpeas are a 'superfood' full of fibre and protein. A chef explains the best way to cook with these versatile beans

Yahoo

11-07-2025

Lauren Toyota doesn't exactly recall the first time she tasted a chickpea, but the bean is such a staple that it's hard for her to imagine her eating life without it: 'I have always been a little bit hippie-ish and into plant food. So, it was probably hummus,' she recalls, talking about the classic Middle-Eastern dip made by blending these legumes.
'Tofu is my go-to, but chickpeas are a close second for sure,' the two-time cookbook author and creator of vegan blog Hot for Food tells Yahoo Canada by phone. 'I definitely try to figure out ways to sort of transform them so that they're more interesting and appealing looking — and maybe you don't know what they are right away, because you eat with your eyes first.'
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'You can really transform them into whatever flavour you crave: So if you want barbecue, you can do something barbecue with them. If you want Mexican-style, you can add spices and seasonings that make them that flavour profile. So they could just be very versatile,' Toyota adds, explaining that chickpeas are a protein-and-fibre-rich food that also won't break the bank. That makes it something to consider when you're trying to balance your grocery bill and your eating goals.
Toyota's website features dozens of different iterations on chickpeas, from a vegan spin on chopped salad to a chocolate mousse made from the liquid from canned chickpeas (it's called aquafaba and it behaves like egg whites, a boon for egg-free bakers everywhere).
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Chickpeas, Toyota says, 'are a superfood in that they contain protein, fibre and they are a nutrient-dense food, which is what makes them a superfood.' On top of feeling full faster and aiding in digestion, these beans comes with a range of other benefits — and we'll get to those in a minute.
Economical, good for you and versatile, chickpeas could be the overlooked pantry hero that keeps your grocery bill lower and your stomach happy. Here, Toyota shares all you need to know to make them your new favourite ingredient.
Sometimes called garbanzo beans, chickpeas are a beige-coloured bean that can be purchased dried or canned. About the size of a green pea but with one end that's slightly conical, these little legumes are nutritional powerhouses: Half a cup of canned chickpeas boasts around 10 grams of protein, eight grams of fibre as well as high amounts of iron magnesium and B vitamins.
Dried chickpeas need to be soaked in water overnight before cooking, and can be cooked in a slow cooker or Instant Pot for the most hands-off approach. However, you can also cook them in the oven or on the stovetop.
Cooking any type of dried bean takes time, but chickpeas are a particular commitment, think between 30 minutes and two hours boiling on the stovetop. That's why canned chickpeas, which are already cooked and are ready to be drained and added to recipes, remain popular — even if they're marginally more expensive than their dried counterparts (about $2 for a 540-ml can versus $3 for a 900-gram bag).
A 2015 study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition echos Toyota's earlier point about making fibre a priority, sharing that less than 25 per cent of Canadians age 19 and older get enough fibre daily. Fibre is an important nutrient for a number of reasons: It aids digestion, helps you feel fuller for longer, can help keep you at a healthy weight and can lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers, according to the Mayo Clinic.
'Whenever you're eating a plant protein [like chickpeas], it's got the added benefit of fibre, which a lot of people who consume a lot of meat and dairy are actually lacking in, so that's a quick health point,' Toyota adds. 'Also, beans and legumes kind of have a prebiotic effect: They are good for your gut.'
Beans and legumes kind of have a prebiotic effect: They are good for your gut.Lauren Toyota, vegan cookbook author
'Dried beans, rice, legumes, even regular pasta is a pretty healthy food,' Toyota lists: 'I think the cheaper foods sometimes get demonized by the food industry and the influencer industry. And I would encourage, especially if you're trying to eat more plant based, to go straight for these sort of pantry staples, because they are the least expensive and they're going to stretch your budget and stretch the amount of meals you can make with them.'
Toyota explains she understands that after opening a can of chickpeas, you might ask yourself, ''Oh, what do I do with these?'' But, she adds, making the most of a can of chickpeas is as simple as reaching for your favourite sauce.
Toyota mentions chana masala, a traditional South Asian chickpea dish, noting that chickpeas are a staple of Indian cooking: Simmering the chickpeas in a tomato-based sauce with the proper spices until warmed through makes a simple meal that pairs with rice, naan or even quinoa.
She adds you could use store-bought butter chicken sauce or even your favourite marinara sauce as riffs on the idea. Moreover, as Toyota notes, this is a faster and less-costly meal than using that same jar of sauce with chicken: There's no need to pre-cook or brown the chickpeas, and a can of these beans is a fraction of the $12- to $28-price tag often slapped onto a package of chicken breasts.
While Toyota's recipes focus on plant-based eating, she's quick to add that chickpeas are an ingredient to consider regardless of your own dietary labels.
'​​Think about an extra layer of how can you add more nutrition and fibre to your meal, and chickpeas don't have to be the replacement — they can be the addition,' the former MuchMusic host says. 'Maybe putting them into a soup in addition to your animal protein. They're a nice, easy thing to throw into or on top of anything. So, I would just buy them and then make a conscious effort to use them, knowing that, again, you're only doing yourself good by adding nutrition to your meal.'
If you throw them into a stew or soup, they're not an overpowering flavor. They're just kind of there as texture ... but they're not taking away anything from the dish.Lauren Toyota
Toyota adds that she likes to 'crisp up' chickpeas by draining a can, patting them dry and spreading them on a parchment lined baking tray to cook in an oven put on 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees Celsius) until crisp. Anywhere you'd use breadcrumbs, these chickpea bits would be welcomed as a more nutrient-filled alternative.
Aside from swapping chickpeas in for meat in your favourite prepared sauces or making a batch of crispy chickpeas to use anywhere breadcrumbs are welcome, Toyota says that a great starting point for chickpeas is to make a tuna salad-style mixture, swapping in a can of chickpeas for the can of fish.
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Recipe: Chickpea 'Tuna' Salad Sandwich
A can of chickpeas
Lemon
One to two ribs of celery, thinly sliced
Two to three pickles or two tbsp of capers, diced fine
Half a red onion, diced
Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
Drain and rinse the can of chickpeas using a colander before placing the chickpeas into a large mixing bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, mash the chickpeas into a rough, rubbly consistency similar to that of flaked tuna. Add enough Greek yogurt or mayonnaise to coat, then fold in celery, red onion and pickles until evenly distributed. Add lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve on bread, in a wrap or as a dip for crackers.
'It really, actually does taste exactly like tuna, and it has the same sort of mouth feel,' Toyota adds. 'And of course, you added all the fun, flavourful things to really transform them. I would say that's a very good entry point, and something that's unique as well, that most people haven't tried.'