It’s not just their chubby profile, nutty flavor, and velvety flesh that set chickpeas apart. The tawny pulses are also higher in fat than most other beans and legumes, which gives them an exceptionally creamy eating quality. Add to their resume that chickpeas are nutritious, protein-rich, and inexpensive, and you’ll want to keep your pantry stocked with a few cans for easy meals like the trio I offer here.
My recipe for a hearty, chickpea-forward chopped salad begins with zapping the chickpeas in the microwave to dry out their plump interiors and rupture their exteriors. Then, as you pan-fry the slightly dehydrated legumes, their papery skins blister and crackle while their insides puff and crisp. Toss the crunchy chickpeas with a zippy spice mix and set them aside to cool before scattering them atop a
