Chickpeas: A Guide
One Thing: Does anything else deliver the ratio of tasty and good for you better than chickpeas? I don’t think so.
Hello Tough Love subscribers!
I’m launching a new feature. Every other week, I’m going to recommend one thing that’s captured my attention.
Expect a carefully curated recommendation from books, TV, recipes or the best garlic press in all the land and whatever else has caught my eye. I’ll try to be as international and useful as I can. I love everyday luxuries, as you’ll see in my (timeless) gift guide.
I’ve enjoyed a gentle January of nutritious food and time at home, so I’m starting this new feature by talking about chickpeas - Call me the influencer of the mundane.
New here and want an essay? Then read the top Tough Love posts here.
Chickpeas!
I love chickpeas and chickpeas love me. Does anything else deliver the ratio of tasty and good for you better than chickpeas? I don’t think so. Cooked right, they can taste so good they almost taste naughty. Eating them raw is tolerable, but I’d rather not.
Chickpeas are a staple of the Mediterranean diet, so as a half-Cypriot, chickpeas are ingrained in my culture and I must always eat them (as I do). I love hummus, too. The only shop-bought one I’ll eat is the Delphi brand, which you can get in pretty much every corner shop in East and North London - I'm afraid I can’t speak to other parts of London, but I’ll check soon and hope it’s not only available in the UK either.
Anyhow, chickpeas are cheap and heartening, which is what we all need to get through these final winter months. My favourite chickpea recipes are also so so easy to make. As with most of the recipes I cook on repeat, they were first sent to me by friends and I love how through sharing our favourite recipes cooking becomes a communal experience.
In order of ease, here are my favourite chickpea recipes:
Herbed Chickpeas from the queen of easy and tasty, herself
Aglio e olio chickpeas, exact quantities don’t matter on this one, so you can just follow the Instagram video without the full recipe
Baked Feta with Tomato and Chickpeas by
Put things in pan then put in oven - you don’t even need to chop the tomatoes if you don’t want toSpiced Chickpea Stew. Another
! This recipe went viral. Friends always ask for the recipe if I make it. Do it yourself and you’ll see why.
Please share your thoughts and feelings on chickpeas. What’s your relationship with them? Favourite recipe? Let me know. Let’s go deep on the chickpea chat.
Hello Tiffany, a newbie to Substack, I am really enjoying yours! Thank you for the recipe ideas, I couldn't agree more about the humble chickpea. I offer you 2 to add: Ottolenghi's carrot & cp sauté, dump in some herbs, lemon and spinach/other green to wilt, top with greek yogurt, it's wonderful. And I use the aquafaba (the chickpea water) to stand in for eggwhites in a healthy mousse au chocolat - even though sometimes the melted chocolate cools into little lumps, it's still yummy, satisfying, and gives the eggs a night off!
Hi bestie! I've been making the baked feta-tomato and chickpeas weekly since I read this. Just wanted to come back and say thanks ;)