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.
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:
Why readers love this recipe
“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.
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.
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
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:
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.
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
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
Nutrition
Content, recipe, and photos updated February 15, 2022. Originally posted April 8, 2016.
David
Yum!! I love chickpeas with any meal, and adding them to breakfast is genius. 🙂
Cadry Nelson
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, David!
Jessi Summers
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! 🙂
Cadry
That’s so nice to hear, Jessi! Glad you enjoy the scramble. 🙂
Sam
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!
Cadry
Oh, what a great idea to add some Indian spices and green chutney. I would be all over that! Thanks for the kind words!
Mazz
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.
Susan
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. 🙂
Cadry
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.
Aimee
I love chickpea scramble and I love hash browns so this is like a dream plate of food right here 😀
Cadry
Yay! That’s great, Aimee. You and me both.
Kristina
I definitely need to try this one – I love chickpeas, and yep, always have some in the pantry!
Cadry
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. 🙂
Shell
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 🙂
Cadry
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. 😉
Mary Ellen @ VNutrition
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!!!
Cadry
Thanks, Mary Ellen. I love tofu scrambles too, but it’s always nice to have more options. 🙂
EC
This looks like a nice change up from tofu scramble!
Cadry
Exactly! I won’t be retiring the tofu scramble, but it’s fun to switch things up every now and again.
Little Vegan Bear
This is basically my perfect weekend breakfast! I love your plates too, what a gorgeous pattern.
cookeasyvegan
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.
Cadry
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.
Hannah
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 🙂
Cadry
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.