Chickpea Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce (GF)

Grab your garbanzos 'cos we're going for a wok – welcome to the wonderful world of the chickpea stir-fry.

This vegan recipe features a delicious peanut butter sauce for a nutritious meal that's high-protein, meat-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

Ready in just 25 minutes, the centrepiece here is a humble can of chickpeas straight out of the store cupboard. I like to serve this stir-fry with rice noodles mixed through, but you could use whatever you prefer or happen to have lying around.

Looking for more vegan stir-fry inspiration? Check out these recipes for teriyaki tempeh stir-fry, crispy tofu stir-fry, and fried cucumbers.

Can you use canned chickpeas in a stir-fry?

You certainly can. Since tinned chickpeas have already been cooked during the canning process, they make for an easy, affordable, and nutritious addition to a stir-fry dish.

You'll just want to make sure you drain the chickpeas before using in this recipe (or others like chickpea salad). Rinsing them quickly under water also helps to remove excess sodium.

Are chickpeas good for you?

Chickpeas are an incredibly healthy ingredient to include in your diet. Packed full of nutrients such as protein, fibre, manganese, and folate, they've also been shown to help prevent iron deficiency.

To learn more, check out my beginner's guide to pulses and take a look at these recipes for crispy baked falafel, easy homemade hummus, three-bean salad, 15-minute chickpea stew, and vegan chickpea biryani.

Is this dish healthy?

There's certainly some fat in this stir-fry, but the combination of chickpeas and peanut butter also means it's high in plant-based protein and numerous other healthy nutrients.

If you're concerned about sodium, you may want to exclude the tamari or use a low-sodium soy sauce (if not GF).

In one serving of this recipe, you'll find:

• Calories: 671 kcal
• Protein: 20 grams (40% of RDA)
• Fibre: 11 grams (46% of RDA)
• Iron: 5 mg (28% of RDA)

Amounts based on a third-party nutrition calculator.

What you'll need

Stir-fried chickpeas can be as simple or complex as you like. As long as you have the ingredients to make a decent peanut sauce, the rest is up to you. For this recipe, you'll need:

• Canned chickpeas that have been drained and rinsed
• Vegetables to add colour, flavour, and texture
• Smooth peanut butter as the base of the stir-fry sauce
• Accompaniments such as boiled rice or rice noodles

How to make chickpea stir-fry

Begin by preparing the ingredients for the stir-fry sauce. Add all these to a jug or bowl, mix well to combine, and set aside.

Heat a pan or wok on high heat and add the oil. Once hot, add in the spring onions, red pepper, mushrooms, mangetout, and drained chickpeas.

Stir and/or toss regularly for 4-5 minutes or until the mushrooms and veg are starting to soften, then lower the heat and add the stir-fry sauce.

Mix well and cook for a minute or so to heat through.

If necessary, add a little extra water (or cooking water from rice or rice noodles) to loosen the sauce in the pan.

Adjust the seasoning, remove from the heat, and serve. If serving with noodles, you can drain these after cooking and mix through the stir-fry before serving.

Serving suggestions

Serve the chickpea stir-fry with your choice of boiled rice or noodles. Topping suggestions include sliced spring onions, sesame seeds, coriander leaves, chopped peanuts, and crispy chilli oil.

I've used rice noodles since they're both quick to cook and gluten-free. If you want more dishes that involve rice noodles, check out these 5-minute peanut noodles, vegan Singapore noodles, vegan rice paper rolls, and this cold rice noodle salad.

Variations and tips for chickpea stir-fry

• Peanut butter: I like to use smooth peanut butter here since it's also acting as a thickener in the sauce.
• Vegetables: For an easier option, simply replace the veg with a store-bought stir-fry pack.
• Other additions: To take the stir-fry sauce in a slightly different direction, try ingredients such as tamarind paste or crispy chilli oil. 

Hey you – let me know what you think

If you made this recipe and enjoyed it – or did anything differently – I'd love to hear from you down below in the comments 👇

You can also find me and let me know on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook @thepeskyvegan 🌿

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More vegan recipe ideas

If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:

• Sweet Potato and Lentil Dal
• Oven-Roasted Chickpeas
• Grilled Teriyaki Tofu
• Homemade Hummus
• Hummus Pasta with Lemon and Basil
• Chickpea and Cauliflower Coconut Curry
• Tomato Tahini Pasta
• Chickpea Waldorf Salad

You can also check out my full list of vegan mains.