• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cadry's Kitchen
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Threads
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Book
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Book
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Breakfast

    Chickpea scramble: 15 minute vegan breakfast

    Updated: Apr 18, 2025 · Published: Feb 15, 2022 by Cadry Nelson · This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 24 Comments

    Jump to recipe
    Text overlay: Chickpea scramble. Close-up avocado on plate with scrambled chickpeas.

    Chickpea scramble is a tasty, protein & fiber packed breakfast. Thanks to an ingredient list of pantry staples, it’s inexpensive and convenient to prepare.

    This easy, one pan meal takes only about 15 minutes to make. And it involves a minimal amount of chopping.

    Great for savory brunch lovers who are short on time. Vegan, soy free, and gluten free.

    Sliced avocado on plate with chickpea scramble and hashbrowns.

    Chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) are beloved for their hummus making abilities.

    But there’s no reason that chickpeas have to be the domain of lunch and dinner alone.

    Chickpeas definitely deserve a spot on the breakfast table.

    Chickpea scrambles are ideal for when you are craving something outside of the tofu scramble standard (or simply require a soy free breakfast).

    They’re also super pantry-friendly if you haven’t gone to the grocery store in a while.

    Canned or homemade chickpeas are quickly sautéed with onions and garlic, lightly seasoned, and finished with a couple big handfuls of spinach.

    So easy!

    While this healthy dish has “scramble” in the name, no one would be fooled into thinking it’s scrambled eggs.

    The chickpeas are doing their own thing. But it can fill the same role in your breakfast alongside toast and fruit.

    This mildly flavored dish is perfect for mornings when you want something simple, filling, and satisfying.

    It’s also easily adaptable, depending on what spice preferences you have or what’s in your produce drawer.

    In this post:

    Jump to:
    • Why readers love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Step by step instructions
    • Make it your own
    • Serving ideas
    • Storage & reheating instructions
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why readers love this recipe

    5 stars

    “This scramble has been a life saver for a gal trying to figure out savory vegan breakfasts! Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂“ – Jessi

    Ingredients

    Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

    Labeled ingredients for chickpea scramble.

    Oil: Only a small amount is used to saute. You can use extra virgin olive oil or whatever cooking oil you prefer.

    Onions: I like yellow onions for their mild flavor, but any color will work here.

    They can be replaced with an equal amount of shallots.

    Garlic: Just one clove of minced garlic is needed. It can be replaced with ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder.

    Chickpeas: Also known as garbanzo beans, you can use one (15-ounce) can drained and rinsed. Or use 1 ½ cups of cooked chickpeas.

    Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed is best for optimum flavor.

    Nutritional yeast flakes: Nutritional yeast adds cheesiness and umami flavor.

    Look for nutritional yeast flakes in natural grocery stores, Trader Joe’s, or online.

    Seasonings: Granulated onion, turmeric, salt, and pepper add flavor and/or color.

    Granulated onion can be replaced with onion powder. Turmeric can be omitted.

    Baby spinach: Baby spinach cooks quickly, because it is tender & light.

    It can be replaced with a heartier green like kale. However, it may require a slightly longer cooking time & splash of water to help it cook down.

    Step by step instructions

    This section shows how to make this recipe at a glance with process photos of the steps. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

    Collage showing how to make chickpea scramble in skillet.

    1. Sauté onions and garlic in oil over medium heat.

    2. Add chickpeas. Smash some of them for texture & cohesion.

    Add the following seasonings:

    • Lemon juice
    • Nutritional yeast flakes
    • Granulated onion
    • Turmeric
    • Salt
    • Pepper

    Add a splash of water or vegetable broth, if necessary, to keep chickpeas from sticking.

    3. Add a couple big handfuls of baby spinach. Combine with the chickpeas until the spinach wilts.

    4. Once spinach has cooked down, taste & add more salt, lemon juice, or nutritional yeast, if desired.

    Make it your own

    Overhead plates with chickpea scramble, sliced grapefruit, and coffee.

    It’s easy to personalize this dish to suit your tastes by varying the ingredients.

    • Use 1 ½ cups of home cooked beans instead of canned
    • For a Mexican spice vibe, add cumin, sweet or smoked paprika, and ancho chili powder
    • Lean into Indian spices with your favorite curry powder blend
    • For an Italian take, use an Italian seasoning mix, or basil and oregano
    • For eggy flavor, add kala namak (also known as black salt)
    • In addition to onions and garlic, add other vegetables like mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, and/or zucchini
    • Instead of spinach, use your favorite leafy greens like Swiss chard or curly kale (Be aware that kale may take longer to soften & will likely need a splash of water)

    Serving ideas

    This wholesome dish can be eaten on its own, with toast or hash browns, rolled into a wrap, or served as a breakfast bowl with avocado, potatoes, or grits.

    Enjoy it with any of these delicious breakfast dishes:

    • Vegan grits
    • Air fryer breakfast potatoes or baked breakfast potatoes
    • Avocado toast
    • Vegan kitchari
    • Vegan French toast

    Storage & reheating instructions

    Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3 or 4 days.

    To reheat, warm in a skillet on the stove (with more oil if needed) or in the microwave until warm.

    If the chickpeas seem dry, add a splash of water or vegetable broth. Refresh with a squeeze of lemon juice & pinch of salt, to taste.

    Chickpea scramble on plate with hashbrowns and avocado.

    If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!

    📖 Recipe

    Chickpea scramble with wilted spinach, avocado, and hash browns on plate.

    Chickpea scramble

    Author: Cadry Nelson
    5 from 7 votes
    Tofu scrambles get a lot of love in our house, but sometimes chickpeas need a chance to shine. Plus, chickpea scrambles are a great option when your cupboard is bare, and you only have a few essentials in the house.
    It's deliciously simple. And the chickpeas are substantive enough to keep you full until lunchtime.
    This recipe serves two generously. You can stretch it out to more people if you plan on having other sides.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Keyword: brunch, gluten free, soy free

    Ingredients

    • ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil or your preferred oil
    • ⅓ cup chopped onions
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • 1 can (15-ounce) chickpeas drained and rinsed (1 ½ cups)
    • ½ to 1 teaspoon lemon juice divided
    • ½ teaspoon nutritional yeast flakes
    • ¼ teaspoon granulated onion or onion powder
    • Pinch of turmeric for color
    • Pinch of salt
    • Dash of pepper
    • 1 to 2 teaspoons water or vegetable broth (Optional)
    • 2 big handfuls of baby spinach leaves

    Instructions

    • Heat a skillet to a medium heat with oil. Add onions and garlic. Sauté for 3 or 4 minutes, until translucent and fragrant.
    • Add chickpeas to the skillet. Continue cooking until warmed through. Use a fork to smash some of the chickpeas for texture and cohesion.
    • Add ½ teaspoon lemon juice, nutritional yeast flakes, granulated onion, turmeric, salt, and pepper to chickpeas. Use a spatula to fully combine.
      Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of water or vegetable broth, if necessary, to keep the chickpeas from sticking & add moisture.
    • Add spinach to skillet, combine with the chickpeas, and allow the spinach to wilt. With a warm skillet, this will just take a minute or two.
    • Taste the scramble and add up to ½ teaspoon more of lemon juice, if necessary. Add more nutritional yeast flakes and salt, to taste.

    Notes

    Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3 or 4 days.
    Reheat in a skillet (with a little oil if needed) or microwave until warm. If the chickpeas seem dry, add a splash of water or vegetable broth. Refresh with a squeeze of lemon juice & pinch of salt.
    Chickpea scramble inspired by Isa Does It.
    Subscribe to Cadry’s KitchenSign up today! JOIN BY CLICKING HERE

    Nutrition

    Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 422mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 4mg

    Content, recipe, and photos updated February 15, 2022. Originally posted April 8, 2016.

    More Breakfast

    • Bright pink pickled red onions on avocado toast with nutritional yeast covered tofu.
      Vegan avocado toast with pickled onions & nutritional yeast (5-minute)
    • Fluffy silken tofu scramble with coffee, avocado toast, and pickled red onions.
      The easiest silken tofu scramble recipe (Just 5 ingredients!)
    • Mug of coffee, toast, sausage, and tofu scramble topped with avocado.
      Vegan tofu scramble with kale & avocado
    • Banana and peanut butter peeking out from quesadilla.
      Peanut butter banana quesadilla (Just 3 ingredients!)
    • Facebook
    • Threads

    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, recipe creator, and photographer behind Cadry’s Kitchen, and the author of Living Vegan For Dummies, 2nd Edition. Since launching her blog in 2009, Cadry has been making plant-based cooking approachable, and reimagining classic comfort foods. Her work has been featured in NBC News, Buzzfeed, Yahoo, Parade, VegNews, and more. She regularly appears on local TV shows, demonstrating to a broad audience how easy vegan cooking can be.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 7 votes (2 ratings without comment)

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. David

      June 08, 2022 at 9:35 am

      5 stars
      Yum!! I love chickpeas with any meal, and adding them to breakfast is genius. 🙂

      Reply
      • Cadry Nelson

        June 08, 2022 at 11:24 am

        Glad you enjoyed the recipe, David!

        Reply
    2. Jessi Summers

      February 18, 2019 at 3:56 pm

      5 stars
      I make potatoes my own way, so no comment on the hashbrowns, but this scramble has been a life saver for a gal trying to figure out savory vegan breakfasts! Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂

      Reply
      • Cadry

        February 20, 2019 at 7:53 am

        That’s so nice to hear, Jessi! Glad you enjoy the scramble. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Sam

      June 09, 2016 at 1:05 am

      5 stars
      I loved this recipe! Being a vegetarian, it’s so hard to find healthy and tasty breakfasts, so this was a major improvement. Since I’m from India, I added a lot more spices and at it with green chutney, it was heavenly.

      Thank you for this recipe and your blog!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        June 09, 2016 at 11:38 am

        Oh, what a great idea to add some Indian spices and green chutney. I would be all over that! Thanks for the kind words!

        Reply
        • Mazz

          July 11, 2025 at 4:06 pm

          5 stars
          I honestly thought this was going to be bland and dry but told myself I’d try it once because it’s healthy and quick. It was really nice! It had much more flavour than I expected, and I found it easy to eat. Definitely making it again.

          Reply
    4. Susan

      April 16, 2016 at 7:38 pm

      I wasn’t a bit breakfast fan when I was younger but it was mostly because I just wasn’t very hungry in the mornings. I ended up training myself into it because you really do need breakfast fuel before a long day at uni or work! This looks great. I have done the scrambled chickpeas from Isa Does It and they were a nice change.
      I agree with you that hashbrowns are the best breakfast potatoes, however in Australia hash browns are different from in the US, so that is what I am wanting with my breakfast. 🙂

      Reply
      • Cadry

        April 18, 2016 at 8:10 am

        I’m not hungry first thing in the morning either. It takes at least a couple of hours before I want to eat.

        I remember from your posts about the U.S. that the hashbrowns here didn’t meet your expectations. I need to do some googling and find out what Australian hashbrowns are like.

        Reply
    5. Aimee

      April 12, 2016 at 4:22 am

      I love chickpea scramble and I love hash browns so this is like a dream plate of food right here 😀

      Reply
      • Cadry

        April 13, 2016 at 10:44 am

        Yay! That’s great, Aimee. You and me both.

        Reply
    6. Kristina

      April 11, 2016 at 9:48 am

      I definitely need to try this one – I love chickpeas, and yep, always have some in the pantry!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        April 13, 2016 at 10:43 am

        Yes, it’s one of those breakfasts I reach for when we’ve returned from an out of town trip and the refrigerator is empty. I almost always have chickpeas, onions, garlic, and spices. It keeps me full until I can get to the store and stock up. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Shell

      April 11, 2016 at 8:56 am

      5 stars
      I’m totally hooked on chickpea scramble. It is so simple, yummy and packed with nutrients. I love the idea of adding hash browns!

      Side note: I remember how much you didn’t like breakfast when we were in elementary school. I am the biggest breakfast fan ever, and so I’m glad we didn’t let that difference get in the way of our friendship 🙂

      Reply
      • Cadry

        April 13, 2016 at 10:42 am

        I think it’s so awesome that you’re hooked on the chickpea scramble. You are really a chickpea girl. And hash browns make EVERYTHING better.

        That’s interesting that you remember me not liking breakfast! Thank you for looking past it where our friendship was concerned. 😉

        Reply
    8. Mary Ellen @ VNutrition

      April 11, 2016 at 6:27 am

      This is a great way to switch things up from a tofu scramble. I love them but I like to limit my soy sometimes if I have it other days in the week. Great idea!!!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        April 13, 2016 at 10:40 am

        Thanks, Mary Ellen. I love tofu scrambles too, but it’s always nice to have more options. 🙂

        Reply
    9. EC

      April 09, 2016 at 8:11 pm

      This looks like a nice change up from tofu scramble!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        April 10, 2016 at 7:31 am

        Exactly! I won’t be retiring the tofu scramble, but it’s fun to switch things up every now and again.

        Reply
    10. Little Vegan Bear

      April 09, 2016 at 5:26 pm

      This is basically my perfect weekend breakfast! I love your plates too, what a gorgeous pattern.

      Reply
    11. cookeasyvegan

      April 09, 2016 at 1:22 pm

      I was a breakfast avoider growing up, too. Maybe if someone had made me chickpea scramble and hash browns, I would have changed my ways.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        April 10, 2016 at 7:29 am

        You know, I really wonder about that sometimes, Andrea! In my family, I was considered to be the picky one, but now I wonder if I just had a different palate.

        Reply
    12. Hannah

      April 09, 2016 at 9:40 am

      Every time I see you post about chickpea scramble I’m inspired to try it myself. I have yet to do it, but the day is coming! It looks and sounds delicious 🙂

      Reply
      • Cadry

        April 10, 2016 at 7:26 am

        Yes, you’ll have to give it a shot sometime. As much as I love tofu scrambles, sometimes it’s nice to mix things up.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Cadry Nelson standing in kitchen with hand on hip.

    Hi, I'm Cadry!

    I’m the creator behind Cadry's Kitchen and author of Living Vegan For Dummies.

    I'm a longtime vegan, but I grew up eating a standard American diet. I know that all of us crave foods that are familiar, comforting, and delicious.

    That’s why it’s my passion to share mouthwatering plant-based recipes that taste like home.

    More about me →

    In stores now

    Air fryer recipes

    • Hand dunking crunchy pita chip into bowl of air fryer roasted beet hummus on veggie board.
      Beet hummus recipe (with air fryer roasted beets + oven option)
    • Panko crusted asparagus spears by chili crisp dipping sauce and dill dipping sauce.
      Crispy breaded pan-fried asparagus (air fryer optional)
    • Vegan fried summer squash dunked in creamy onion & garlic dressing.
      Crispy air fryer summer squash (or pan fried)
    • Crispy corn tortilla strips made in the air fryer garnishing burrito bowl.
      Air fryer tortilla strips: Crispy snack & salad topper

    Colorful summer recipes

    • Cashew ice cream with mulberry and vanilla in bowl.
      Mulberry ice cream recipe (vegan & cashew-based)
    • Glass jar with quick pickled watermelon rind, dill, and garlic.
      Pickled watermelon rind with garlic & dill (No sugar recipe)
    • Watermelon salsa dip with cilantro and onion.
      Sweet & spicy watermelon salsa with jalapeño & lime
    • Potato chip dunked in cashew dill pickle dip with fresh dill on top.
      Vegan dill pickle dip (Perfect for chips, veggies & burgers)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet Cadry
    • Work with me

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    As seen in

    Logos of sites where Cadry Nelson and Cadry's Kitchen have been featured: Buzzfeed, Taste of Home, Hello Iowa, Prevention, NBC News, Delish, and VegNews.

    Copyright © 2025 Cadry's Kitchen

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.