Chickpeas on the Menu: 4 Ways to Excite Customers with Nutritious Food in 2023

Whether you call them chickpeas or garbanzo beans, one thing’s for sure — this versatile ingredient is increasingly popping up on food service menus across the board.

Chickpeas are the dry, edible seed of plants from the legume family, and reports show that this ingredient has growing presence in fast-casual and fine dining restaurants.¹ Today, chickpeas are found on about 16% of menus in the United States, representing a 15% growth over the past four years.² The versatile and in-demand pulse appears across all menu categories in the U.S. – most often in entrées (60%), but also in appetizers (31%), sides (6%) and kids menu items (1%).³ In Canada, it can be found in most menu categories, particularly in entrées (62%), including sandwiches/wraps, bowls, salad entrées and vegetable entrées.⁴

Many factors make the chickpea a perfect fit for innovative new menu options in food service. First, chickpeas are widely known. About 84% of the U.S. population knows the ingredient, and about 64% of the population has tried it.⁵ Chickpeas are also incredibly versatile; they’re a suitable meat replacement in certain dishes or a gluten-free substitute for pasta and pizza.⁶ And, using chickpea flour brings plant-based nutrition into recipes for baked goods like savory breads, sweet muffins and cakes.

Nutrition may be the most important contribution the chickpea makes to new recipes and menu items. As a plant-based source of nutrition, the chickpea offers several key benefits:

• Chickpeas are rich in folate⁷ and iron, with three times more folate than kale⁸ and two and a half times more iron than chicken
• The Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed (RACC) for whole chickpeas is 35g, providing 15% daily value of fiber as well as 7g of protein per RACC.⁹
• Chickpeas are inherently gluten-free and dairy-free.

At the end of the day, customer demand drives innovation on the menu, and data show a rising consumer interest in menu items that contain chickpeas. As you position yourself for success, read on to discover ways to incorporate this familiar ingredient into your menu.

Chickpeas on the Menu: Bring on the sweetness!

One of the many reasons chickpeas have become so popular in food service is because they combine a neutral texture and flavor with a favorable nutrition profile. When your menu includes sweet treats that incorporate chickpea as an ingredient, you invite customers to indulge in their favorite desserts while also benefiting from this plant-based food in their diet.

When blended into a mixture or pulverized into a flour, chickpeas enhance recipes with their nutritional benefits without adding a strong flavor, which lays the perfect groundwork for delicious, sweet treats like The Hummus & Pita Co.’s Chickpea Chiller hummus milkshake¹⁰ and Chickpea Smear dessert spread.¹¹

 Chickpeas on the Menu: Go gluten-free!

Foods labeled “gluten-free” do not contain ingredients with the protein gluten,¹² which is found in wheat, barley, rye and triticale. All foods that make the claim of being “gluten-free” must comply with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s standards for the claim of containing less than 20 ppm gluten,¹³ whether packaged, prepared or available in a restaurant. Research from Ardent Mills indicates that 44% of consumers claim to purposefully eat gluten-free at least occasionally,¹⁴ which explains the rising demand for gluten-free items on the menu.

Including chickpeas in dishes can add flavor, texture and nutritional qualities, but it can also replace gluten-containing ingredients that traditionally come in items like pasta and pizza crust. For example, Barilla, the world’s leading pasta producer, has released a chickpea pasta¹⁵ that contains 19g of plant protein per serving and is certified gluten-free, vegan and Non-GMO Project Verified.¹⁶ Casual dining chain California Pizza Kitchen also offers a gluten-free pizza crust made with chickpea, chia seeds and honey,¹⁷ which allows it to offer guests more flexibility in the form of gluten-free versions of many of its menu items.¹⁸

Chickpeas on the Menu: Create thoughtful and playful pairings!

When building your menu, consider thoughtful and playful pairings that bring out the best in chickpeas. Interesting flavor combinations like the Mediterranean-inspired Power Bowl from Piada Italian Street Food²² and fast-casual chain Veggie Grill’s Chickpea Curry Bowl²³ have already been enticing curious customers.

Chickpeas also appeal to customers who want to eat a “plant-forward” diet, not only for taste but also to include a source of protein. However, chickpea provides only 8 of the 9 essential amino acids, which means it is technically an incomplete protein.²⁴ By pairing it with other ingredients that contain the missing amino acid methionine, you can offer customers a dish that features complete plant-based protein.²⁵ Savvy foodservice organizations looking for inspiration for how to incorporate chickpeas into a dish as a complete protein can draw inspiration from some of the nation’s largest CPG brands, like Kroger’s Chickpea and Berry Salad²⁶ that features walnuts (a one ounce serving of walnuts offers 0.19g methionine).²⁷

Nourish and Excite Customers with Chickpeas on the Menu

In-store and on the menu, you’re going to see the versatile chickpea wherever you go. If you want to meet consumer demand for this lively legume in 2023 and beyond, it’s time to start exploring how you can use it to create tasty, creative dishes for your food service menu — and it’s time to find a partner who can connect you with the high-quality, reliable ingredients you need to deliver on those dishes.

Ardent Mills is that supplier-partner. We supply whole, intact chickpeas, as well as flour, from high-quality chickpeas typically grown in the Northwest Region of the U.S. But even more importantly, we work closely with our customers to ensure our chickpeas consistently deliver on specifications for the delicious and nutritious food you want to put on your menu.

¹Datassential, “Flavor of the week: Chickpea, the versatile legume,” Nation’s Restaurant News, July 12, 2021, https://www.nrn.com/consumer-trends/flavor-week-chickpea-versatile-legume.

²Datassential, “Flavor of the week: Chickpea, the versatile legume.” Nation’s Restaurant News. July 12, 2021, https://www.nrn.com/consumer-trends/flavor-week-chickpea-versatile-legume.

³Technomic

⁴Technomic

⁵Datassential, “Flavor of the week: Chickpea, the versatile legume,” Nation’s Restaurant News, July 12, 2021, https://www.nrn.com/consumer-trends/flavor-week-chickpea-versatile-legume.

⁶Datassential, “Flavor of the week: Chickpea, the versatile legume,” Nation’s Restaurant News, July 12, 2021, https://www.nrn.com/consumer-trends/flavor-week-chickpea-versatile-legume.

⁷“Chickpea flour (besan),” U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed November 17, 2022, https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/174288/nutrients.

⁸Website, The USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council, accessed November 17,2022, https://www.usapulses.org/.

⁹“Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt,” U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed November 17, 2022, https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173757/nutrients.

¹⁰Any mention of third-party brands does not imply an affiliation with Ardent Mills.

¹¹Leaden, Claire, “Chickpea tricks: How NYC eateries are embracing the trendy food staple,” amNY, July 2, 2019, https://www.amny.com/lifestyle/eat-and-drink/chickpea-food-trend-1-33295907/

¹²Mayo Clinic Staff, “Gluten-free diet,” Mayo Clinic, December 11, 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/gluten-free-diet/art-20048530.

¹³“Questions and Answers on the Gluten-Free Food Labeling Final Rule,” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, last updated June 30, 2022, https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/questions-and-answers-gluten-free-food-labeling-final-rule.

¹⁴Ardent Mills proprietary research

¹⁵Any mention of third-party brands does not imply an affiliation with Ardent Mills.

¹⁶“Chickpea revolution? Companies looking to innovate could face higher prices as global shortage hits,” Ingredients Network, August 5, 2022, https://www.ingredientsnetwork.com/chickpea-revolution-companies-looking-to-innovate-news118325.html.

¹⁷Cobe, Patricia, “California Pizza Kitchen Launches a Chickpea Crust,” Restaurant Business, June 22, 2021, https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/food/california-pizza-kitchen-launches-chickpea-crust.

¹⁸“California Pizza Kitchen Becomes First National Restaurant Brand to Offer Chickpea Crust Pizza,” Business Wire, June 22, 2021, https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210622005365/en/California-Pizza-Kitchen-Becomes-First-National-Restaurant-Brand-to-Offer-Chickpea-Crust-Pizza.

¹⁹Any mention of third-party brands does not imply an affiliation with Ardent Mills.

²⁰Cobe, Patricia, “California Pizza Kitchen Launches a Chickpea Crust,” Restaurant Business, June 22, 2021, https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/food/california-pizza-kitchen-launches-chickpea-crust.

²¹Any mention of third-party brands does not imply an affiliation with Ardent Mills.

²²Any mention of third-party brands does not imply an affiliation with Ardent Mills.

²³Any mention of third-party brands does not imply an affiliation with Ardent Mills.

²⁴“Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt,” U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed November 17, 2022, https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173757/nutrients.

²⁵“16 Complete Protein Pairings with Chickpeas,” Souper Sage, accessed November 17, 2022, https://www.soupersage.com/complete-protein-pairings/chickpeas.

²⁶Any mention of third-party brands does not imply an affiliation with Ardent Mills.

²⁷“Nuts, walnuts, English, halves, raw,” U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed November 17, 2022, https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/2346394/nutrients.

²⁸“Bowls and Salads,” Veggie Grill menu, accessed November 17, 2022, https://veggiegrill.com/bowls/.

²⁹Any mention of third-party brands does not imply an affiliation with Ardent Mills.

³⁰“Power Bowl,” Piada Italian Street Food menu, accessed November 17, 2022, https://mypiada.com/order/chef/12195735.

³¹Any mention of third-party brands does not imply an affiliation with Ardent Mills.

³²“Chickpea and Berry Salad,” Kroger recipes, accessed November 17, 2022, https://www.kroger.com/r/chickpea-berry-salad-recipe/55ef2cc5-f70d-4e25-a3d5-effa11667c75.

³³Any mention of third-party brands does not imply an affiliation with Ardent Mills.