Cambero Rodríguez, María IsabelGarcía De Fernando Minguillón, Gonzalo DoroteoRomero De Ávila Hidalgo, María DoloresRemiro, VíctorLuis CapeloSegura Plaza, José Francisco2023-12-192023-12-192023-06-1010.3390/foods12122339https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/91572The current trend in food consumption is toward convenience, i.e., fast food. The present work aims to study the potential of incorporating freeze-dried cooked chickpeas into a complex and traditional dish in Spanish gastronomy, such as Cocido, which has this legume as the main ingredient. Cocido is a two-course meal: a thin-noodle soup and a mix of chickpeas, several vegetables, and meat portions. The textural properties, sensory qualities, and rehydration kinetics of chickpeas of three Spanish varieties were investigated to select the most suitable cooking conditions to obtain freeze-dried chickpeas of easy rehydration whilst maintaining an adequate sensory quality for the preparation of the traditional dish. The sensory quality of various vegetables and meat portions, cooked under different conditions, was evaluated after freeze-drying and rehydration. It was possible to reproduce the sensory quality of the traditional dish after rehydration with water, heating to boiling in a microwave oven for 5 min, and resting for 10 min. Therefore, it is possible to commercialize complex dishes based on pulses and other cooked and freeze-dried ingredients as reconstituted meals with a wide nutrient profile. Nevertheless, additional research is required on the shelf life, together with other economic and marketing issues such as design of a proper packaging, that would allow consumption as a two-course meal.engAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/journal article2304-8158https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/12/2339open accessChickpeaFreeze-dryingRehydrationInstant mealCocidoAlimentaciónTecnología de los alimentos3309 Tecnología de Los Alimentos