Hosts planning a small gathering
You’re planning to serve pulses as a starter, in a salad or as a side dish, and want to buy a single tin in a size that suits your menu without ending up with lots of leftovers.
Who is this for?
Cooks short on time
You’re looking for pulses that are already cooked and can be added to a recipe. You’ll need to choose between plain pulses to season yourself and a ready-made dish.
People who check ingredients
You need to check the ingredients, allergens or nutritional information for your guests. The label on the specific product you buy matters more than the description of another variant.
What should you look for?
For a small New Year’s Eve gathering, work out how much you need, then choose between plain pulses to prepare yourself and a recipe that’s already seasoned. Finally, check the ingredients of the product you’ve chosen.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity and pack size | If the tin contains liquid, compare the drained weight, then check that you’re buying a single tin rather than a multipack. | If I’m serving pulses as a small side dish, I want a suitable quantity rather than leftovers that are hard to use up; around 42% of consumers prioritise getting the quantity right. |
| Preparation time | Choose between plain, pre-cooked pulses that you can season yourself and a ready-made recipe with fixed seasoning. | When there’s a lot to do for New Year’s Eve, I prefer to keep the steps before serving to a minimum; around 33% of consumers say saving time is their main priority. |
| Ingredients | Read the ingredients and allergen information on the tin you’re buying. To compare nutritional information, pay particular attention to the salt per 100 g. | If a guest needs to avoid an ingredient, I want to know exactly what’s in the product before serving it; around 25% of consumers prioritise checking this. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Confusing the stated weight with the drained weight
For pulses in liquid, the drained weight tells you how much is actually in the tin. And a pack of small tins is still a multipack, even if each individual tin is compact.
Before choosing, check the drained weight and look out for pack sizes such as “2 × 130 g” or “3 × 130 g”.
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Mistaking a ready-made recipe for plain pulses
A seasoned product gives you less freedom to create your own salad or side dish. The Mediterranean-style recipe in a pouch from Bjorg, for example, contains wheat and may also contain traces of celery, mustard and soya.
Choose a plain product if you want to create your own recipe. For a ready-made dish, read the ingredients and allergen information before adding it to your menu.
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Relying on a product listing alone
Auchan says the ingredients of some products may vary depending on the collection service and purchase date. So a product listing you looked at earlier is no substitute for checking the label on the product you receive.
If the ingredients matter to your guests, check the packaging of the tin you’re going to serve.
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Forgetting storage instructions after opening
Storage times and conditions depend on the product. For its 265 g chickpeas, Auchan advises transferring them to an airtight container, keeping them in the fridge and eating them within two days.
Check the instructions on your tin and choose an amount you can serve or use up within the stated time.
Brands and retailers to consider for these pack sizes
Carrefour
Carrefour’s pulses range includes products from Carrefour Classic’, Carrefour Bio and Carrefour Extra, sold individually and in multipacks.
- The Carrefour Classic’ chickpeas tin we looked at is sold individually and has a drained weight of 265 g. Its ingredients are chickpeas, water and salt.
- Check the pack size: the range also includes multipacks and ready-made recipes.
E.Leclerc / Marque Repère
In the Marque Repère range sold by E.Leclerc, Notre Jardin offers lentils and chickpeas with a stated drained weight of 265 g.
- These products offer a useful point of comparison for an individual tin of lentils or chickpeas.
- Check which product is available at your store or through your chosen collection option.
Auchan
Auchan offers chickpeas in individual 265 g tins, as well as lentils in multipacks of 3 × 130 g.
- The listing for the 265 g chickpeas gives the ingredients as chickpeas, water and salt.
- Auchan says the ingredients of some products may vary depending on the collection service and purchase date, so check the label on the product you receive.
ALDI
ALDI offers, among other products, 265 g tins of All Seasons chickpeas, as well as other pulses in different pack sizes.
- The 265 g chickpeas are worth considering if you’re looking for a compact pack size.
- Check the product and pack size at the store where you plan to shop.
Bjorg
Bjorg offers ready-made pulse recipes in pouches, which are different from individually sold tins of plain pulses.
- A ready-made recipe may suit you if its seasoning works with the dish you’re planning.
- The Mediterranean-style pouch described by Bjorg contains wheat and may contain traces of other allergens. Check the label before serving.
Joybuy products to compare
These chickpeas, beans and peas include plain options and a ready-made recipe, in stated pack sizes of 400 g or 540 gr. For a small gathering, check the drained weight and how much you’ll actually use.
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GÜNES VADIS Chickpeas 540 gr
If you’re making a chickpea-based dish, compare the drained quantity with how much you need for your guests. The 540 gr stated in the product name doesn’t tell you the drained weight on its own.
The description mentions sodium metabisulphite while also stating that there are no allergens. If you’re serving someone who needs to avoid sulphites, check the information on the jar.
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Royal Bourbon Plain Pink Beans 400g
An option to consider if you’d like to season pink beans yourself for a salad or side dish.
The stated pack size is 400g. Check the drained weight on the packaging to work out how much to serve.
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Royal Bourbon Plain Red Beans 1/2 400g
If you’re making a dish where you want to choose the seasoning for the red beans yourself, compare this pack size with the amount you need for your meal.
The variant is marked “1/2” and “400g”. Check its drained weight before estimating the number of portions.
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Royal Bourbon Plain Cape Peas 400g
If you want to season a Cape pea dish yourself, check that this variety is right for your recipe.
The stated pack size is 400g. The drained weight on the packaging will help you work out how much you need.
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BONDUELLE Chickpeas in Couscous Sauce 400g
This chickpea recipe in couscous sauce is suited to a menu where you’re happy with the seasoning already decided for you, rather than a dish that calls for plain pulses.
The stated pack size is 400g. Read the ingredients and allergen information on the product you buy before serving.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I buy for a small gathering?
Compare the drained weight with the role the pulses will play in your menu. Carrefour Classic’ chickpeas, for example, have a stated drained weight of 265 g. If you’re making a dish to share rather than a small side, check whether that amount will be enough before choosing a tin.
Does a pack of 2 × 130 g count as an individual tin?
No, not if you want to buy a single tin: “2 × 130 g” means two tins sold together. The smaller portions may make it easier to use them separately, but it’s still a multipack.
How should I store chickpeas after opening?
Follow the instructions for the product you’ve bought. For its 265 g chickpeas, Auchan advises transferring them to an airtight container, keeping them in the fridge and eating them within two days. The Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control also advises following the manufacturer’s instructions after opening.
Can a ready-made recipe replace plain tinned pulses?
Yes, if its ingredients and seasoning suit the dish you’re planning. However, it won’t give you the same freedom to create your own recipe as plain tinned pulses. Check the allergen information on the packaging before serving, too.