After almost 9 months as a vegan, here is my love letter to the greatest thing added to my cooking repertoire: Chickpeas.
This spring I have breaks in the middle of the day so I’ve been cooking almost every meal! Not only have I saved tons of money, I’ve also had a chance to try a bunch of new recipes.
You may remember how deeply I hated cooking this time last year. When I went vegan, I didn’t have another choice than to start cooking. This was when I discovered that chickpeas are the easiest, cheapest vegan protein that I could ever imagine.
Inspired by Alex the French Cooking Guy’s chickpea series and Eating with Max’s beautiful Instagram pictures, I’ve been on my own vegan cooking journey armed with a can of Chickpeas.
In honor of Earth Day, I even started composting this week! I realized almost all of my trash at home is food waste (ahem avocado skins and pits) since I recycle most of the packaging. I’m new to it, so please send me your composting and zero-waste tips!
Here are my go-to chickpea meals and the pinterest recipes so you can try them too!
Stir Fry
Stir fry chickpeas are such an easy way to clean out the veggies in your fridge. Since I usually make a big pot of quinoa at the beginning of the week, I skip making rice and just throw in a spoon of the quinoa.
Curry
The best addition to my cooking repertoire has been learning to make curry. It’s so filling and easy to make. This recipe is a little complicated, so I just substitute the veggies for whatever I have available.
Tabbouleh
Tabbouleh is the easiest way to change up my cooking staples: chickpeas and quinoa. I throw in the fresh herbs I picked up that week and then can use the rest of the cherry tomatoes in a pasta or on avocado toast.
Tacos
Tacos are such an easy and cheap treat! My friend Maya showed me that I can pick up a pack of corn tortillas from El Milagro at our local supermarket and this changed my life.
To season the chickpeas, I add in a little Goya Sazón and top with some fresh avocado and lime juice (as always).
Roasted Broccoli Buddah Bowls
I know I’ve preached about how great roasted broccoli is before, but this really is my go-to meal. Every Tuesday, I throw the chickpeas and two heads of broccoli in the oven before I jump in the shower and when I’m out my lunch is ready and delicious. I could not recommend adding this into your diet more. It’s filling and healthy. If I have extra time, I’ll add in onion, spinach, and avocado.
Want to see what I’m cooking next? Follow along my Instagram stories @xoxorosana.blog and my vegan Pinterest board.
What’s your favorite chickpea recipe? Do you compost or are zero-waste? Tell me about them in the comments or tweet me @xoxorosana_blog!
