Having cooked chickpeas in your freezer at home saves you time and helps you prepare healthy and practical meals. If you want to always have cooked chickpeas on hand, you can easily prepare and store them.
Preparing Frozen Chickpeas
- Prepare the Chickpeas: Take a package of chickpeas, wash them well, then place them in a pot. Add enough water to cover the chickpeas and let them soak in the fridge overnight. This method helps the chickpeas cook faster.
- Cooking Process: The next day, change the water and cook the chickpeas until they are tender. This can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. Once cooked, drain the chickpeas.
- Cooling and Drying: Wash the cooked chickpeas under cold water and drain them. Leave them to dry for a while.
- Packaging: Once the chickpeas are completely cooled, package them in freezer bags or storage containers according to the portion sizes you’ll need for your recipes. Then, store them in the deep freezer.
Hoowly Tip:
If you’re using freezer bags, you can use a straw to suck out the air from the bag. This will extend the shelf life of your chickpeas and keep them fresher for longer.
Where to Use Cooked Chickpeas?
Even if you already know how to use cooked chickpeas quickly at home, here are some ideas to keep in mind:
- Hummus: You can quickly make a bowl of hummus. Just blend cooked chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil for a delicious snack.
- Chickpea Pilaf: Chickpea pilaf adds a unique flavor to your rice. It pairs perfectly with yogurt!
- Chickpea Salad: Preparing a chickpea salad is very easy. Just mix cooked chickpeas, fresh parsley, and onion for a tasty salad.
- Chickpea Stew: A hearty chickpea stew, either with meat or vegetarian, is a nutritious meal you can prepare in no time.
- Falafel: Cooked chickpeas are perfect for making homemade falafel! Mix with spices and fry them to make a fantastic snack.
- Soups: Adding chickpeas to tarhana soup or meat and meatball soups gives them an extra boost of flavor.
- Snacks: You can roast chickpeas with your favorite spices for a healthy snack. My favorite is to heat cooked chickpeas in a pan, add black pepper and olive oil, and eat it as a quick meal!
Of course, there are many more ways you can use cooked chickpeas in your recipes. This is where your creativity will take over!
