It takes little time and effort to transform a forgotten can of chickpeas or butterbeans into a winning salad, main course or side dish

A can of pulses is the best pantry friend you can have. Yes, there are other serious contenders for that title, but, for me, there is no other bagged, jarred or tinned food that offers such a headstart in creating a quick meal that tastes as if it has been cooked slowly, carefully and thoughtfully from 100% raw ingredients. So, next time you see an old tin of chickpeas lurking at the back the cupboard, bring it out, say hello and get it to do its wonderful thing for you.

Quinoa and chickpea salad with pumpkin seeds and herbs (pictured above)

I love the look of red quinoa in this salad, but white works just as well, if that’s all you have (in which case, reduce the cooking time to about 10 minutes). Serve as a vegan main course or, for a significantly less vegan option, as a side with slow-cooked lamb or grilled chicken.

Prep 5 min

Cook 25 min

Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side

1 red onion, peeled and cut into 2cm-wide wedges

75ml olive oil

Salt and black pepper

80g red (or white) quinoa

50g pumpkin seeds

1½ tbsp lemon juice

1 x 400g tin cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed (240g drained weight)

15g basil leaves, roughly shredded

15g parsley leaves, roughly chopped

1 ripe avocado, peeled and cut into 3-4mm-thick slices

Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7. Mix the onion wedges with a tablespoon of oil, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a grind of pepper. Spread out on an oven tray lined with baking paper and roast for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until soft and caramelised, then remove and leave to cool.



Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil, add the quinoa and cook for 16 minutes (10 if using white), until it’s cooked but still has some bite. Drain, then leave to cool and dry out a little.

Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan on a medium heat for five to six minutes, shaking the pan frequently, until puffed up and starting to brown, then tip out into a small bowl and leave to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice, the remaining four tablespoons of oil, a third of a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Add the chickpeas, then gently crush about half of them with a spatula – this will help them absorb the other flavours better. Add the onion, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, herbs and avocado, toss to combine and serve.

Quick chickpeas with swiss chard

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The quick supper: Yotam Ottolenghi’s chickpeas and Swiss chard with yoghurt. Photograph: Louise Hagger for the Guardian

Comfort food at its best, especially if served with steamed rice.

Prep 10 min

Cook 30 min

Serves 2

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 2cm pieces

60ml olive oil, plus extra to serve

Salt and black pepper

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 tsp caraway seeds

1½ tsp ground cumin

200g swiss chard leaves, cut into 1cm-thick strips

1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed (240g drained weight)

1 lemon, cut in half – one half juiced, to get 1 tbsp, the other cut into two wedges, to serve

80g Greek-style yoghurt

5g coriander leaves, roughly chopped

Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas 6. In a bowl, toss the carrots with two tablespoons of oil, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Spread out on an oven tray lined with baking paper, then roast for 20 minutes: they should still be a little crunchy.



Heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan on a medium flame, then fry the onion, caraway and cumin for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the chard, cooked carrots, chickpeas, 75ml water, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and mix through. Cook for five minutes, until the chard is soft and just about all the liquid in the pan has evaporated. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, then serve with a generous spoonful of yoghurt, a sprinkling of coriander, a drizzle of oil and a wedge of lemon.

Spiced garlic farinata with whipped butterbeans and cream cheese

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The spicy bread: Yotam Ottolenghi’s garlic farinata with whipped butterbeans and cream cheese. Photograph: Louise Hagger for the Guardian

Farinata is a chickpea-flour flatbread, so it’s gluten-free. The edges are dry and crisp, while the centre is soft and squidgy, so you can scoop up the topping when eating it.

Prep 5 min

Cook 50 min

Serve 4

200g chickpea flour

60ml olive oil

4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tbsp sumac

1 tsp nigella seeds

¼ tsp chilli flakes

Flaky sea salt

For the whipped butterbeans

1 x 400g tin cooked butterbeans, drained and rinsed (240g drained weight)

100g cream cheese

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil, plus two tsp extra to finish

1 spring onion, thinly sliced

1 small preserved lemon, flesh and skin finely chopped (10g net weight)

Put the chickpea flour in a large bowl, slowly whisk in 450ml cold water, until well combined, then leave to rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 240C/465F/gas 9.



Put all the whipped butterbean ingredients in a food processor with three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt. Blitz for a minute or two, until smooth and aerated, then spoon into a small bowl and drizzle two teaspoons of olive oil on top.

Heat the oil for the farinata in a large, cast-iron skillet (or heavy-based, ovenproof frying pan) on a medium-high flame. Once hot, fry the garlic for a minute or two, until it starts to sizzle but doesn’t take on any colour, then transfer to a small bowl with a slotted spoon, and stir in the sumac, nigella and chilli.

Spoon two tablespoons of the garlicky oil from the pan and a teaspoon of salt into the chickpea batter, and whisk well. Tip another tablespoon of garlic oil from the pan into a small bowl, leaving just one tablespoon’s worth in the pan.

Return the pan to a high heat and, when the oil starts to smoke, pour in half the batter and swirl the pan around so it settles in an even layer. Cook for 30 seconds, until the batter starts to bubble, then sprinkle over half the garlic mix. Transfer to the oven for 10 minutes, until the bread is cooked through and golden brown, then use a spatula to transfer the farinata to a large plate. Keep warm while you repeat with the remaining batter and garlic oil.

Cut the hot farinatas into wedges and serve warm with the butterbeans on the side for spreading over.