Fresh garbanzo beans salad

January 14, 2010  •  Category:

 

Found these at the  middle-eastern grocery, imported from Mexico. We used to get them occasionally in Beirut from cart vendors, but I don’t remember how we ate them. As a snack? In a salad? Stew? These are also produced in California by califresh


Luck would have it that Juan Torres was around yesterday and he is Mexican, so I asked him how he would fix them. Juan is one of the great assets of my life, he is my handyman; I can call him up and he will show up immediately and do any job I need done meticulously and with a smile! I think every woman should have a Juan in her life, personally.

So, Juan told me how they fix fresh garbanzos in Mexico and by the time he was done describing the recipe, it had corn, green beans, butter, a couple  rib-eye steaks, baked potatoes  with sour cream and bacon. Hmm..

I think I will do it the Lebanese way, some fresh veggies and a lemon and olive oil dressing; that way, I will escape into summer and forget the cold, grey skies and drizzle outside!

These  are also produced in California, where they sell them already shelled.

Benefits are: Very high in protein, as much calcium as yoghurt, very rich in potassium and fiber, reduces blood pressure and cholesterol. Listen to Phil Lambert from the Today Show : ” Edamame out,  Garbanzo in! “

Enough rambling. Here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

  • A handful of fresh garbanzo beans
  • A handful of organic cherry tomatoes
  • A handful of fresh Persian cucumbers (can use pickling cucumbers)
  • A bit of green onions
  • A nice chunk of feta cheese
  • olive oil, fresh lemon juice

METHOD:

  1. Wash the garbanzo beans and place them in salted and boiling water.
  2. Boil for 3 minutes. Drain and cool.
  3. Peel the beans and place in a bowl.
  4. Add the tomatoes, peeled cucumbers, crumbled cheese, olives, green onions and whatever else strikes your fancy.
  5. Drizzle some olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Sahteyn!



Comments

35 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. SE says:

    hey…this picture reminds me so many of childhood memories..when we used to go to fields to pick these little plants..and enjoyed eating the kernels

  2. Rosa says:

    I never had fresh garbanzo beans and never saw any here… That salad looks so healthy and good!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  3. cuisineplurielle says:

    I don’t know this kind of bean.. Very colored dish§

  4. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says:

    Ahh I wish we could get fresh chickpeas here, that looks absolutely healthy and wonderful! 🙂

  5. Barbara says:

    Lovely, bright salad. Beautiful presentation. Simple too. I have never seen fresh garbanzo beans– haven’t looked either. They must be crunchy when fresh. Will check whole foods when next I go. I think I saw someone use them on Top Chef…whoever it was mentioned they had never worked with them before and I think she used them on the side. One of the judges questioned why she would try something in competition she had never seen before. She loved vegetarian food and I think was making a vegetarian meal for the guest judge. Interesting.
    Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

  6. Azita says:

    These fresh chickpeas look so beautiful and healthy. I wish we we could find them here but I’ve never seen them fresh!

  7. TastyTrix says:

    What a gorgeous salad. Looking at it, I can almost forget that it’s January and gross outside! It’s like bringing summer onto your plate.

  8. dana says:

    Very tempting dish, Joumana! I will visit the mid-eastern grocer this weekend and hopefully I will be able to get some fresh garbanzo.

    We used to eat them @ spring time when were children for snack. I remember cart vendors passing by our house and calling on the speaker phone” im elaybnai, khadra w malani” 😉

    Cheers,
    Dana

  9. Viviane, Taste-Buds says:

    Interesting way to use green chickpeas! I love to eat them but I cannot say I have seen the cart vendors. We get them from our hometown! Now I want some :S

  10. yasmeen says:

    A very refreshing salad.I miss the fresh Green garbanzos ,very popular for snacking back home.
    I’m sorry to hear the parcel got lost.I’ll verify from the folks at Xagave about the date it was sent.

  11. fimère says:

    l’assiette est bien colorée on a envie d’y plonger la cuillère et gouter à cette merveille
    bonne soirée

  12. MaryMoh says:

    This dish really cheers me up….so fresh, colourful and healthy. I love it.

  13. Joanne says:

    I wish I could find fresh garbanzos here! That salad looks so colorful and delicious.

  14. SE says:

    hey…pls stop by at my blog and pick up your award !!

  15. Rachana Kothari says:

    The Salad looks sinfully inviting:) I have never had gabanzo beans but after seeing this beautiful click and the recipe, I must try and find these beans:)
    A very refreshing Salad!

  16. Fouad says:

    I remember that the shops used to sell them in the biggest batches ever. The pods were slightly sour, and if the chickpeas were fresh and not floury, they would taste great. We ate them as is. I don’t recall anyone cooking them or turning them into a salad. Interesting approach Joumana!

  17. Mimi says:

    what a gorgeous looking salad. My cousin lives in the central coast of California, and he grow garbanzo beans on his ranch. I guess I need to bring some home next time I visit.
    Mimi

  18. Camille says:

    Your salad looks so great – fresh, colorful, healthy, and tasty! I’ll keep my eyes open for fresh garbanzos, since I love fresh beans of all types. Thanks for stopping by my blogs!

  19. Simply Life says:

    Oh i love how fresh and delicious this salad looks!

  20. delices eyes says:

    Quel délice cette salade avec les pois chiche frais!
    Bonne journée

  21. pierre says:

    ta salade est super fraiche quel bonheur ! merci joumana ! pierre

  22. Angie@Angie's Recipe says:

    I have never seen or had fresh garbanzo beans….the salad looks gorgeous.

  23. Baroness Tapuzina says:

    I also have never seen fresh hummous beans. I think we import our hummous beans here in Israel, but I will have to ask in the Shuk. That salad looks delicious.

  24. Amy says:

    I have been wanting to find fresh garbanzos for a long time! I finally found a store that gets them, but only for a short season twice a year. It is a big hispanic grocery store in Detroit. It might be time to check on the season again! Your salad looks great!

  25. spice says:

    WOW! salad looks very pretty….I should say tasty, but colors are so nice…back in India we call it Cholia(Hara chana….Hara means green & chana means garbanzo beans), very easily available thru out the winter season. We use to snack on the fresh ones & cook gravy dish of the same with potatoes, onion, tomatoe,ginger & garlic…I miss it so much over here…..some of the well stock Indian fresh produce stores over here also keep these….

  26. Doria says:

    Elle est fraîche avec de jolies couleurs ta salade !
    Je connais bien le pois chiche sec mais pas encore “frais”. J’aimerais bien en trouver par chez moi, car c’est un ingrédient que j’aime beaucoup !
    Bisous, Doria

  27. Jeanne @ Cooksister! says:

    Another ingredient I’ve never seen (only tinned and dried)! I love coming here – gret recipes AND I learn something every day. Thanks 🙂

  28. Peter says:

    Joumana, I’ve never seen fresh chickpeas, fascinating and I will be looking out for them.

  29. Arlette says:

    I love this fresh salad….I soak some dried beans in water over a paper towel as soon as they starts to shout, I plant them in a pot inside,soon as the temperature starts warming up… I transplante them.. they are my snack, never cooked them before… Now my neighbors look forward to my treats as well…..I do foul akhdar too…
    which i love with cheese sandwich

    You can start a small fresh garden if you have enough space… this month is the best to start your seeds….
    soon spring will be knocking at the door…. and time to be out in the sun…. I am so looking forward to summer, though we had a very cold dry winter with some snow in December….

  30. shanthi says:

    Yummy and such a healthy salad. Well clicked. Do visit my blog when time permits.http://shanthisthaligai.blogspot.com/

  31. PreeOccupied says:

    I LOVE fresh garbanzo. This was a winter snack in India for us. Its been years since I ate any. 🙁

  32. Sarah Galvin (All Our Fingers in the Pie) says:

    I have just learned that chick peas are grown in my area. My neighbour has a farm and they are growing chick peas! Yeah! I will be experiencing fresh chick peas. I will post about them – but it will be awhile before they are in season.

  33. Beau says:

    Just so you know, chickpeas are also grown in North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington state, and Oregon, along with Manitoba and Sasketchewan in Canada. I am a chickpea farmer in North Dakota, and it is interesting to hear of different ways my products are used. I will have to see if there is a way for me to harvest my chickpeas fresh like this and provide them for sale. Thanks for the information!

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