Quick Meal Series: salt and pepper chickpeas

Don't let that tin of chickpeas go neglected in the back of your cupboard! This recipe is the perfect way to turn them into your new favourite ingredient...

Katy Woods
5th December 2025
Image source: KavindaF, Pixabay
Stick with me on this one, because I’m going to take the world’s worst ingredient and make it delicious.  

Okay, that’s probably a lie; there are way nicer ingredients that you could make this meal with, but this is how I do it. Ordinarily this meal would be made with chicken, but I like to live the vegetarian-except-for-when-I-want-a-kebab lifestyle so this way works for me (and it may work for you too!).

Ordinarily this meal would be made with chicken, but I like to live the vegetarian-except-for-when-I-want-a-kebab lifestyle so this way works for me...

I present to you: salt and pepper chickpeas, the easiest and yummiest recipe ever.  

First, start out by putting some rice on to boil.

Then, open a tin of chickpeas and drain the water. Make sure to rinse them a few times as well because they tend to come in aquafaba, a viscous liquid that tends to stick to the chickpeas quite a lot (and is nasty, by the way).

Get some oil heated up in a frying pan. Once it’s hot, empty the chickpeas in there – the oil should sizzle when they hit the pan.

Then add Chinese five spice, salt (plenty), pepper (also plenty) and a little bit of coriander. Coat the chickpeas in all the spices and leave them to cook for ten to fifteen minutes on a low heat for a crispy exterior.

When the rice is ready, empty it into a bowl and then the chickpeas on top.

Now for the fancy bit: avocado. While it's a bit expensive, the recipe thus far has consisted of dry cupboard goods, so it’s worth a splurge at the end as far as I’m concerned.

Now for the fancy bit: avocado. While it's a bit expensive...it’s worth a splurge at the end as far as I’m concerned.

Cut up an avocado and place the pieces on top of the chickpeas. Some lettuce also works really well if you want a bit of crunch and, if you're feeling extra fancy, sprinkle some sesame seeds on top (you can barely taste them but they make it look exciting).

Voila, there you have it. An easy vegetarian recipe that, lets be honest, would be way nicer with chicken, but sometimes needs must.

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