3 ways to cook with a tin of chickpeas
Last updated October 2, 2026
A tin of chickpeas can become a 20-minute sausage and tomato stew, a 30-minute platter salad with pan-crisped chickpeas, or a no-cook bowl with tomatoes. The bowl needs no heat, the stew is one pan, and the salad takes the most steps. The stew and the salad have recipe pages, and their times are the recipes' own estimates. The bowl is a simple assembly, set out below.
| You want | Dish | What happens to the chickpeas | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| A warm, saucy dinner | Spicy sausage and chickpea stew | Simmer in tomato sauce | About 20 minutes, one pan |
| A plate with crisp and creamy parts | Courgette and avocado salad with crispy chickpeas | Brown in a frying pan | About 30 minutes |
| A cool bowl with no hob time | Tomato and chickpea bowl | Season, then toss with ripe tomatoes | None; ten minutes' standing |
Spicy sausage and chickpea stew
Pull 4 spicy pork sausages from their casings and break the meat into thumb-sized pieces. Soften red onion, garlic and chilli for a minute, then cook the sausage with salt and cumin for 2 minutes. Add a can of whole tomatoes with half a can of water and the chickpeas, cover for 4 minutes, then stir through baby spinach until it wilts. The chickpeas need no drying or browning, and bread is useful for the sauce.
Cut open the largest piece of sausage before you serve. The Food Standards Agency lists sausages among the foods to cook thoroughly, and says to check for steam rising from the middle when you cut into the food.
Crispy chickpea salad
The courgette and avocado salad with crispy chickpeas is the one to make when you want the chickpeas to bring texture. The recipe browns sliced courgette, then rinses and pats the chickpeas dry and cooks them in olive oil with sweet paprika over medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until golden and slightly crispy; spread them out in the pan rather than heaping them up. The salad is built in layers on a platter: courgette, avocado, chickpeas, red onion, toasted walnuts, feta and herbs, then Greek yoghurt and olive oil.
Three things need cooking (courgette, chickpeas, walnuts) before assembly, so this is the choice for when you want distinct bites rather than a bowl to eat with a spoon. Slice the avocado near serving; our guide to keeping cut avocado from browning helps if you prepare that layer ahead.
No-cook tomato bowl
Drain the tin and season the chickpeas with lemon juice or vinegar, olive oil, black pepper and a little salt. Add ripe tomatoes and leave them ten minutes so their juice becomes the dressing, then stir in cucumber and herbs. Spoon it over toast or couscous soaked in boiled water. If you would rather use leftover rice, the rice guide explains how long it keeps. More tomato ideas are on the tomato ingredient page.
How much of the tin do you use?
The two recipes count chickpeas differently. The stew just says a can; the salad calls for 1 cup of canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed. A can's printed weight may include its liquid, so check the label for a drained weight, and if you end up with more than the salad needs, keep the rest for another meal rather than crowding the pan. More chickpea recipes are on the chickpea ingredient page; for a dip, the aubergine guide covers a chickpea and aubergine hummus that starts from dried chickpeas.