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3 recipes · 21 Oct 2026

What to make with a can of chickpeas

A can of chickpeas is protein, fibre and dinner in one. Three vegetarian ways to use it.

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Chickpeas are already cooked, so they only need warming through or crisping up. They soak up sauces in a curry, stay firm in a salad and go crunchy in a hot oven.

All three recipes are vegetarian, and Cheffify checked each one against that. Each started from a different fridge.

Creamy Coconut Chickpea Curry
AI-generated photo. Your dish will look a little different.

Creamy Coconut Chickpea Curry

  • 30 min
  • Serves 2
  • 450 kcal a serving
  • Easy
  • Indian-inspired
  • Vegetarian

A comforting, fragrant curry that perfectly balances the earthiness of chickpeas with creamy coconut milk and tender spinach.

Made with Cheffify’s AI from these ingredients

In the fridge canned chickpeas, spinach, canned tomatoes, coconut milk, onion, curry powder, rice

Used from the fridge
canned chickpeasspinachcanned tomatoescoconut milkonioncurry powderrice
Worth buying (optional)
  • + fresh cilantro Adds a bright, fresh finish
  • + fresh lime Cuts the richness of coconut
From the pantry
saltblack peppercooking oilgarlic

Ingredients

  • 400g canned chickpeas
  • 100g spinach
  • 400g canned tomatoes
  • 200ml coconut milk
  • 1 onion
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 150g rice
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil

Allergens: none of the common ones in this ingredient list. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

Calories
450 kcal
Protein
14 g
Carbs
65 g
Fat
18 g

Per serving, estimated by AI.

Method

  1. Cook the rice according to package directions. Set aside.
  2. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic.
  3. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until translucent, then add the garlic and curry powder, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Pour in the canned tomatoes and canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed). Simmer for 10 minutes to allow flavours to meld.
  5. Stir in the coconut milk and simmer for another 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
  6. Add the spinach to the pan and stir until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Serve the curry warm over the cooked rice. If you have any on hand, a squeeze of fresh lime juice or a sprinkle of fresh cilantro really lifts the dish.

Tip If your curry tastes a little flat, a pinch of sugar or a splash of vinegar can help balance the flavours.

Fresh Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
AI-generated photo. Your dish will look a little different.

Fresh Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

  • 10 min
  • Serves 2
  • 320 kcal a serving
  • Easy
  • Mediterranean
  • Vegetarian

A bright, refreshing, and protein-packed salad that comes together in minutes. It relies on the crunch of fresh vegetables and the creaminess of feta to make a satisfying lunch.

Made with Cheffify’s AI from these ingredients

In the fridge canned chickpeas, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, feta, lemon, parsley

Used from the fridge
canned chickpeascucumbercherry tomatoesred onionfetalemonparsley
Worth buying (optional)
  • + Kalamata olives adds a nice salty punch
From the pantry
olive oilsaltblack pepperdried oregano

Ingredients

  • 400g canned chickpeas
  • 1 cucumber
  • 200g cherry tomatoes
  • ¼ small red onion
  • 100g feta
  • ½ lemon
  • ¼ cup parsley
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp dried oregano

Allergens: contains milk. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

Calories
320 kcal
Protein
12 g
Carbs
28 g
Fat
18 g

Per serving, estimated by AI.

Method

  1. Drain and thoroughly rinse the canned chickpeas, then pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.
  2. Dice the cucumber into small cubes, halve the cherry tomatoes, and very finely dice the red onion.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, juice from half a lemon, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.
  4. Add the chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion to the bowl and toss well to coat.
  5. Crumble the feta over the salad, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and toss gently one last time before serving.

Tip To take the sharp bite out of the red onion, soak the diced pieces in cold water for 5 minutes and pat dry before adding to the salad.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Chickpea Pita Pockets
AI-generated photo. Your dish will look a little different.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Chickpea Pita Pockets

  • 35 min
  • Serves 2
  • 480 kcal a serving
  • Easy
  • Middle Eastern inspired
  • Vegetarian

A comforting, vegetarian dinner where roasted sweet potatoes and crispy, spice-rubbed chickpeas are tucked into warm pita bread with a cool garlic yogurt sauce.

Made with Cheffify’s AI from these ingredients

In the fridge canned chickpeas, sweet potato, red onion, smoked paprika, greek yogurt, pitta bread

Used from the fridge
canned chickpeassweet potatored onionsmoked paprikagreek yogurtpitta bread
Worth buying (optional)
  • + fresh parsley or cilantro adds fresh herbal brightness
  • + lemon cuts the richness of yogurt
From the pantry
olive oilsaltblack peppergarlic

Ingredients

  • 2 medium sweet potato
  • 400g canned chickpeas
  • 1 small red onion
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 150g greek yogurt
  • 2 pitta bread
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic

Allergens: contains milk, gluten (wheat). Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

Calories
480 kcal
Protein
16 g
Carbs
65 g
Fat
18 g

Per serving, estimated by AI.

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Peel and dice the sweet potato into 1-inch cubes. Peel and cut the red onion into thick wedges.
  2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then pat them very dry with a paper towel. This helps them get crispy.
  3. On a large baking tray, toss the sweet potatoes, onion, and chickpeas with olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread everything out in a single layer.
  4. Roast for 25–30 minutes, tossing halfway through, until the potatoes are tender and the chickpeas are slightly crispy.
  5. While roasting, mix the greek yogurt in a small bowl with a minced garlic clove and a pinch of salt.
  6. Warm the pitta bread in the oven for the last 2 minutes of roasting. Slice the pitta open to form a pocket, spread a generous spoonful of garlic yogurt inside, and stuff with the roasted vegetable and chickpea mixture.

Tip If you want the chickpeas extra crunchy, roast them for 10 minutes before adding the sweet potatoes and onions to the tray.

Swaps

Missing something, or cooking for a different diet? These work in the recipes above.

Dried chickpeas
Soak overnight and simmer for about an hour. 100 g dried makes roughly one can.
Other beans
Butter beans, cannellini or black beans work in the curry and the traybake.
Vegan
Use plant yogurt and leave out the feta, or swap it for avocado.

What to buy to finish it

Every recipe works with what it lists. These optional extras are what Cheffify suggested to lift each one.

Pantry basics these recipes assume

saltblack peppercooking oilgarlicolive oildried oregano

Good to know

  • Pat chickpeas dry with a clean towel before roasting: dry chickpeas go crunchy, wet ones steam.
  • Keep the liquid from the can (aquafaba). It whips like egg white for vegan meringues and mousses.

Got something else?

Tell Cheffify what’s in your fridge. It picks what goes together, writes the recipe and tells you what it left out. Your first recipe is free, with no account needed.

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How these recipes were made

Each recipe started as the fridge list shown with it. Cheffify’s AI (the same Chef’s Pick you get in the app) chose what goes together and wrote the recipe on 21 Oct 2026, and an image model made the photo. We read every recipe before publishing, but they haven’t been tested in a test kitchen. Times and nutrition are estimates, and the allergen notes only cover the listed ingredients.

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