Connect with us

Cheesy Vegetarian

20 Vegetarian Chickpea Recipes

A collection of 20 easy vegetarian chickpea recipes that can be made with a simple can of chickpeas. Casseroles and curries, sandwiches and dips, and lots more!

A collage showing various vegetarian chickpea recipes.

Ahhh, the humble chickpea. They don’t look like much, but this little bean can do so much. If you’re feeling uninspired, perhaps this collection of vegetarian chickpea recipes will help you out.

Vegetarian chickpea bolognese pasta bake.

What to do with canned chickpeas

I tend to use tins of chickpeas in my cooking, rather than boiling dried chickpeas from scratch. Canned chickpeas are such a useful and versatile ingredient to have on hand, and they’re really handy for throwing into dishes to add a bit of protein. You don’t need to plan ahead – just open a tin, and chuck them in.

Chickpeas can be used in hundreds, or even thousands, of different ways. The fact that they don’t have a huge amount of flavour on their own means they’ll go with just about anything. Make them Indian, make them Italian, throw them in a soup, mash them up, throw them up in the air a few times* – you get the idea. Whatever you end up using them for, they’ll be a great addition to your meal.

*maybe not this one

BBQ chickpea pizza.

Are chickpeas healthy?

Chickpeas are packed with good stuff, so they’re a great addition to any balanced diet.

Like most other legumes, chickpeas are high in protein and fibre, and are very good at keeping you full for a long time. They’re also really high in iron (read more about iron for vegetarians here!), as well as other nutrients such as vitamin B-6, magnesium, potassium, and calcium.

Here’s a bit more detail about the nutritional content of 1 cup of cooked chickpeas:

Nutrient Quantity % RDA
Calories 269
Protein 15g 30%
Fibre 12g 48%
Iron 4.74 mg 26%
Vitamin B-6 0.228 mg 10%
Magnesium 78.7 mg 19%
Potassium 477.2 mg 13%
Calcium 80.4 mg 8%
Source: USDA

If that’s convinced you to try to get more chickpeas into your diet, read on for some inspiration…

Vegetarian chickpea recipes

Spicy roasted chickpea wraps.

Spicy roasted chickpea wraps [vegan]

Cheesy nacho roasted chickpeas.

Cheesy nacho roasted chickpeas

Easy roasted ratatouille with chickpeas.

Easy roasted vegetable ratatouille with chickpeas [vegan]

Garlic mushroom pate.

Garlic mushroom pâté

15 minute creamy chickpea curry.

15 minute creamy chickpea curry

Chickpea bolognese pasta bake.

Chickpea bolognese pasta bake

BBQ chickpea pizza.

BBQ chickpea pizza

One pan chickpea curry and rice bake.

One pan chickpea curry and rice bake [vegan]

Creamy chickpea salad sandwiches.

Creamy chickpea salad sandwiches

Sweet potato and chickpea slow cooker tagine.

Sweet potato and chickpea slow cooker tagine [vegan]

Sun-dried tomato hummus.

Sun-dried tomato hummus [vegan]

Creamy chickpea bake.

Creamy chickpea bake

Quinoa and roasted chickpea vegan burrito bowls.

Quinoa and roasted chickpea vegan burrito bowls [vegan]

Slow cooker coconut chickpea curry.

Slow cooker coconut chickpea curry [vegan]

Chestnut and chickpea roast.

Chestnut and chickpea roast

Indian roasted chickpea flatbreads.

Indian roasted chickpea flatbreads

Asparagus and feta vegetarian pate.

Asparagus and feta vegetarian pâté

Aubergine and sweet potato Thai red curry.

Aubergine and sweet potato Thai red curry [vegan]

Stuffed aubergines with spinach rice and halloumi.

Stuffed aubergines with spinach rice and halloumi

And a bonus recipe, which uses chickpea flour…

Chickpea dumplings in sweet potato gravy.

Chickpea dumplings in sweet potato gravy [vegan]

Which of these vegetarian chickpea recipes will you try first?

Here are a few other recipe collections you might enjoy:

The post 20 Vegetarian Chickpea Recipes appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Air Fryer Gnocchi (with Pesto and Mozzarella)

Ahh, gnocchi! Adorable little potato dumplings that taste like little pillowy clouds – soft and fluffy, like little hugs for your mouth. I adore gnocchi cooked with all sorts of flavours, and this easy air fryer recipe involves:

  • crispy gnocchi cooked in a creamy pesto sauce
  • roasted vegetables that are sweet and tender
  • gooey little pockets of mozzarella cheese
  • a layer of rich tomato sauce to bring it all together

Doesn’t it just sound irresistible?! It couldn’t be easier to make, and the classic Italian flavours are just incredible.

Air fryer gnocchi and vegetables with mozzarella and pesto.

If you’re a regular reader here on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian, you might know that I’m not a fan of boiling gnocchi, and I usually cook it in a frying pan (see my instructions for frying gnocchi!). However, lately I’ve been experimenting with different methods – like baked gnocchi, and oven-roasted gnocchi. This time, I thought I’d use the air fryer!

❓ Why Cook Gnocchi in an Air Fryer?

I use my air fryer several times a week, and I love it. An air fryer is essentially just a mini oven, so whatever you can cook in an oven, you can cook in an air fryer instead (and vice versa) – but it’s a lot quicker when there’s a smaller space to heat up.

Cooking this pesto gnocchi in an air fryer means you can turn it on, leave it to do its thing for a while, and return to perfectly cooked gnocchi. It’s a lot less labour intensive than cooking the gnocchi in a frying pan, and it’s quicker than using the oven. Best of both worlds!

Cheesy Vegetarian Bakes ebook on an ipad screen.

Sign up to get recipes by email, and get a FREE e-cookbook!

(1-2 emails per week, no spam)

🥗 Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for air fryer gnocchi laid out with text overlay.
  • gnocchi – any shop-bought gnocchi will work. I haven’t tested this recipe using homemade gnocchi, but I imagine that would work well too (though you’ll probably need to boil the gnocchi first).
  • vegetables – I used mushrooms, red onion and a yellow pepper. Any similar Italian-style veggies will work well.
  • pesto – I used a creamy basil pesto, but use whatever you like the sound of.
  • fresh mozzarella cheese
  • tomato sauce – choose your favourite tomato-based pasta sauce, or use your own homemade tomato sauce! It’s worth choosing a good quality sauce for this recipe.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you don’t have an air fryer, you could cook this recipe in a regular oven instead, or in a frying pan on the stovetop.


📹 Recipe Video





🔪 Equipment

My air fryer is the Ninja Foodi MAX air fryer, which I really love, and I use it several times a week. I love how it has two separate baskets, so you can cook small or large meals easily. One of the baskets was enough to cook this air fryer gnocchi.

Here’s the one I have on Amazon:

Ninja Dual Air Fryer

Ninja Dual Air Fryer

I love the two separate zones in this air fryer!

If you’re in the UK or Canada, click the link to see a local product.

A bowl of air fryer gnocchi on tomato sauce.

🖨 Printable Instructions

Air fryer gnocchi and vegetables on tomato sauce.

Print

Air Fryer Gnocchi with Pesto and Mozzarella

Air fryer gnocchi, with creamy pesto sauce, gooey pockets of mozzarella, and roasted veggies. This vegetarian meal is so easy!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Diet Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings 2 people
Calories 663kcal
Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp pesto (I used a creamy basil pesto)
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 120 g mushrooms (~ 6 medium mushrooms)
  • 1 bell pepper (I used yellow)
  • 1 red onion
  • 500 g (~1 lb) gnocchi
  • 250 g (~ 9 oz) fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into pieces
  • 340 g (~ 1 cup) good quality tomato pasta sauce

Instructions

  • Add the pesto and a splash of water to a mixing bowl, and mix well to thin out the pesto a little. This will help it to coat the gnocchi nicely.
    Watered down pesto in a mixing bowl.
  • Chop the mushrooms, pepper and red onion into bitesized pieces, and add them to the bowl, along with the gnocchi. Mix well to coat everything in the sauce.
    Gnocchi and raw vegetables coated in pesto in a mixing bowl.
  • Transfer the mixture to your air fryer, and cook at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes. Stir the gnocchi, and cook for a further 10 minutes.
    Crispy gnocchi and vegetables in an air fryer.
  • When the gnocchi and vegetables are nicely crisped up, add the torn up mozzarella cheese to the air fryer, and cook for 2 more minutes, until the cheese has melted.
    Air fryer gnocchi and vegetables topped with melted mozzarella.
  • Heat up the tomato sauce – I warmed it in a bowl in the microwave, but you could use a pan on the stovetop instead, if you prefer. Serve the crispy air fried gnocchi on top of the hot tomato sauce.
    Air fried gnocchi and vegetables served on tomato sauce.

Video





Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 663kcal | Carbohydrates: 99.5g | Protein: 34.4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6.3g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 1237mg | Potassium: 1265mg | Fiber: 6.2g | Sugar: 10.6g | Calcium: 202mg | Iron: 10mg

💭 Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare this recipe in advance?

You could easily mix up the gnocchi / vegetables / pesto in advance, then store the mixture in the fridge until you’re ready to air fry, just before serving.

How should I reheat any leftovers?

I generally reheat any leftovers in the microwave. If you don’t have a microwave, you could also reheat in the air fryer or in a frying pan, but bear in mind that the sauce will dry up a bit if using these methods, so you may need to mix in a little water to freshen it up.

How should I serve air fried gnocchi?

This recipe can be served on its own, without any additional side dishes. However, if you’d like to serve something on the side, a simple salad would be a great addition.

🥔 Other Gnocchi Recipes

Vegetarian Air Fryer Recipes
Air fryer gnocchi and vegetables on tomato sauce.

Air Fryer Gnocchi (with Pesto and Mozzarella)

Sheet pan gnocchi with pumpkin.

Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Pumpkin and Feta

Pizza baked gnocchi topped with peppers, mushrooms and black olives.

Cheesy Pizza Baked Gnocchi

Easy Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi

Easy Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi

The post Air Fryer Gnocchi (with Pesto and Mozzarella) appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

Continue Reading

Trending