This is a very simple dish that is found on a mezze table; it is so simple yet once you taste it, you will become totally enamored with it. It is garbanzo beans, cooked to death until they are soft, swimming in a broth of olive oil, lemon juice and a dash of garlic, sprinkled with ground cumin and toasted pine nuts.
You can eat it with some pita bread and some fresh onions or chili peppers.
Here is the critical thing: buy the best quality chick peas; I have tried several and I like the ones that are imported from Canada the best; they are bigger and when cooked long enough get the softest; or use cans and cook them some more till the beans are extra tender.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cans of garbanzo beans or 1 cup of dried beans; if dried, soak in a lot of water with a half-teaspoon of baking soda, overnight.
- 4 cloves of garlic, mashed with a dash of salt
- 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup of toasted pine nuts
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (optional)
METHOD:
- If using cans, rinse the beans, add more water to cover and place in a pot; if using dried beans, rinse, cover with water and cook the pot as long as needed until the beans are meltingly tender.
- Add the lemon juice, olive oil, spices, mix well; serve warm with a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts and some extra cumin and olive oil. Eat with pita and a fresh chili pepper or onion if you like.
NOTE: Some people (hmm.. me!) like to skin garbanzo beans and find that it is easier to digest or whatever.
44 Comments
It does sound intriguing… so simple!
love hummos with pita bread..ahh..just heaven…never tried making hummos at home…your recipe sounds easy and delicious…mm…sure a keeper..thanks for sharing…tk care!
Mmmhhh, that looks soooo mouthwatering! A dreamlike dish for the chickpea, spice and Middle Eastern food lover that I am!
Cheers,
Rosa
Nice! I have never tried making the hummus with pine nuts and cinnamon. I can hummus all the time too! Thanks for the variation.
That looks simply mouthwatering
I love chickpeas 
Canadian chickpeas….whoduhtunkit? I totally agree with you, chickpeas are best when simmered…I like using lots of onions and some garlic and then adding the other flavours according to my mood. Cumin sounds good today.
I loooove garbanzo beans (hence hoomoos as well) and right now, I’m popping them like popcorn! I also use the dried kinds.
I love this type of dish. A light but satisfying bean recipe with flavor!
It’s almost hummus without the tahini with the addition of cinnamon. Is the garlic supposed to be raw? I’ve never heard of putting baking soda in the soaking water. Interesting. Is that what the pigeons are eating? : )
LOVE IT! Never heard of it before though so can you tell me what to serve with it?
I would go for the cinnamon! This sounds so good – very different than the typical hummas made with chickpeas.
I’ve had something like this before, Joumana, and I love it. So good and wholesome too.
By the way, I made your veggie fritters last night and they were delicious. I’ll be making them often…
I adore chickpeas served up in any fashion and they sound great teamed up with pinenuts!
Perfect timing! I just bought a couple of cans of garbanzo beans today.
This sounds delicious, it’s definitely something I want to try! I love the combination of cumin and cinnamon — what a great pairing!
This sounds so great! I love garbanzo beans and pine nuts!
Sometimes the simplest things are the best. I love this.
@Wizzythestick: It is served with other mezzes (appetizers) so tabbouleh salad, fattoush salad, other salads would be good with it.
@lentilbreakdown: Yes, the garlic is raw and mashed with a bit of salt. Baking soda to soften the garbanzos has been done forever. The pigeons are eating some seeds, haha!
Love hummos. Don’t you add any tahini or is this another houmous recipe?
i love hummus too…and this looks very delicious
This dish is healthy and close to nature, wholesome and satisfying, it is dieters tastiest friend on the planet, perfect for snack or light lunch, garbanzo beans are full of fiber, so it helps us maintain a healthy digestive system, and garlic lowers cholesterol and prevents blood clots. Joumana thank you for this nutritious dish A++++
@Ivy: no there is no tahini in this; just plain hummos.
Anything with chickpeas are my fav..delicious dish..
Your recipe is wonderful in its simplicity! I love chick peas and in Greece we eat them a lot. The addition of pine nuts and cumin must be delicious. I will definitely try this since I cook chickpeas at least once a month.
Magda
yes a great dish…but its always best to skin the chickpeas..as with hummos bi tahini and falafel..
j’aime beaucoup!!! Cela sent immanquablement l’été et le soleil…
Hi Joumana,
I’ve never tried this but I immediately like the sound of it. Anything with chickpeas, garlic and olive oil gets my thumbs up. I also liked your tip about boiling canned chickpeas. I sometimes use them but I never do this and, surprise surprise, often find they are a bit hard.
Brian
Sounds wonderful and soothing, like a warm, cozy soup version of hummos. I have made a delicate chickpea soup with lots of parmesan cheese in it, but yours is exotic and flavorful.
I love food that has two or more names that share equal billing. Chick peas and garbanzos … like Batman and Bruce Wayne. Everyone should have a couple or more identities.
Summer Solstice is today, but here’s an astronomical factoid if you need another reason to celebrate the warmer weather. Summer solstice is the longest day of the year, and also marks the point where Earth is furthest from the sun. But, because of inertia, July 4-5 are typically the “slowest” days of the year: the days in which Earth’s orbital speed is the slowest. That’s why everyone is so laid back in the summer!
yum! I love baleela.
what other delicious things have you whipped up while I’ve been away from blogger-land? I’m going to go and have a look!
I love how simple this is. And healthy too. I bet you could make a big batch and keep them around for quick meals.
No doubt this is delicious, Joumana, but I am hung up on those veggie burgers in your previous post. All I can say is YUM. I can’t wait to make this.
Now as for your garbanzo bean dish, I probably would love it, but have a son who cannot eat it so I don’t very often make anything with garbanzo beans.
As an “imported Canadian”, I really like that you like Canadian chick peas – my big guy will agree about the ” Canadian chick” part! LOL I really like the idea of adding pine nuts Joumana and will have to give this a try.
Well, for once I’ve got every single ingredient on that list of yours!
I’ll be having some salmon filets this evening. I may just marry your garbanzo recipe with the little sauce I’ll make for the fish.
Thanks again for your tasty and simple nutritional recipe ;o)
Flavourful wishes,
Claudia
I just made a batch of hummus this weekend and I wish I would have known about adding baking soda to the water! I love hummus and chickpeas and I’m sure I would love this recipe as well.
Oh, you are simply singing to me with this one! It’s like a deconstructed hummus of sorts. Love love LOVE! I must make this!
gorgeous. from canada? really? that means i must look for them…i love the small plates the Lebanese serve, perhaps one of my most fave things in the world- that’s why i love your food and culture so much. (well i love the culture for other reasons- such warm and loving people). i like the idea of skinning the garbanzo beans. x shayma
cumin, cannelle, huile d’olive, citron, un mélange de saveurs et de soleil! une recette simple mais merci de nous la rappeler! A bientot!
hooray for chickpeas! i should’ve added them to my list of awesome ‘c’ foods.
Une recette toute simple mais bien parfumée!J’adore les pois chiches n’importe comment même justes sortis d’une boite! Comme je ne suis pas fan de cannelle, pour moi ce sera sans! et j’en prend deux belles assiettes de tes pois chiches!
Beautiful pictures!..
My cans of garbonzo beans usually go straight into hummus, but I see I am missing some incredible opportunities. I also picked up some dried chickpeas recently and I’ll have to expand my repititoir.
Cumin and cinnamon, such an interesting combination.
Mimi
I made this recipe and posted about it today!
http://almostveganblog.com/2010/07/06/deconstructed-lebanese-hummus/
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