Chickpeas get a whole lot of love on the dietary entrance—they’re glorious sources of each fiber and protein, two famously elusive vitamins—however they’re additionally absolute workhorses within the kitchen. Stockpiling a can (or two, or three, or seven) is a shortcut to fast and simple meals it doesn’t matter what you’re consuming, whether or not that’s breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert.

It’s all due to this bean’s refined taste and adaptable texture. You possibly can spotlight its pure, al dente mouthfeel by including it to soups for a greater chunk, or roast it at excessive temps to make it even crunchier for topping salads or pastas and even simply straight-up snacking. But it surely works simply as properly in a creamy, pureed state, in every part from scoopable dips to spoonable ice lotions (don’t knock it until you attempt it!).

Mainly, preserve the bean readily available, and a nutritious, filling—and dare we are saying it, enjoyable—meal isn’t far-off. Learn on for precisely easy methods to flip your canned chickpeas into dishes you’ll be able to eat day after day and by no means get bored.

1. Make a memorable breakfast hash.

Chickpeas within the morning may not appear to be essentially the most pure combo, however imagine us—it’s a tasty one. Cara Harbstreet, MS, RD, of Avenue Good Vitamin, subs them for potatoes in traditional hash recipes on the reg. Their dimension and texture are fairly much like diced potatoes, she says, in order that they crisp up simply as properly when seared over excessive warmth in a skillet. From there, toss in your favourite veggies, prime your plate with a fried egg or a aspect of bacon, and by no means look again. Added bonus: They’ll present a couple of extra grams of protein and fiber to your morning meal than you’d get from spuds, Harbstreet says.

2. Add a chickpea scoop to your subsequent smoothie.

Don’t be afraid of a bean-ified shake, Rhyan Geiger, RDN, a Phoenix-based registered dietitian and founding father of Phoenix Vegan Dietitian, tells SELF. She likes to pour a scoop of chickpeas into her morning drink so as to add a couple of further grams of protein and a creamy texture with out the necessity for real-deal dairy.

In case you have been nervous: It’s not going to style like drinkable hummus, both. The flavour of most fruits ought to utterly camouflage any residual bean-y style, Geiger says. Nonetheless hesitant? Go for significantly potent substances, like passionfruit, mango, pineapple, and citrus, to make sure your drink tastes like fruit and solely fruit.

3. Roast ‘em for the last word crispy snack or topper.

When you begin crisping up chickpeas, you’ll by no means be capable to cease—there are simply so some ways to place them to work, says Geiger. For starters, you’ll be able to merely toss them with oil, roast for roughly 20 minutes at about 400 levels F (it’s even faster in an airfryer), and use them as fiber-dense substitutes for croutons in salad or granola in smoothie bowls, she explains.

On the flipside, including just a little little bit of spice is all it takes to remodel them right into a snack you’ll wish to preserve consuming proper on their very own, Mawa McQueen, James Beard Basis-nominated chef and writer of the cookbook Mawa’s Approach, tells SELF. She likes to sprinkle on a touch of ras-el-hanout or berbere spice—two North African spice mixes that comprise substances like paprika, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, cumin, and turmeric—earlier than roasting for one thing that tastes nice whether or not eaten by the handful. However that’s not your solely possibility: Strive including dried herbs like dill or thyme earlier than you pop them within the oven, or sprinkle on a seasoning like furikake—a Japanese condiment with seaweed, dried fish, msg, sugar, and sesame seeds—after they’re carried out.

4. Construct a next-level salad.

Crispy chickpeas are nice on salads, however they’re additionally a superb base for one, too (straight from the can as well—no prep required). Roya Shariat, Brooklyn-based author, dwelling prepare dinner, and coauthor of Maman and Me: Recipes from Our Iranian American Household, tells SELF that she loves them combined with chopped celery for an added crunch, topped with smattering of recent, chopped herbs like dill and parsley, and doused in a creamy mayo-mustard French dressing.