When I was a wee lad, chickpeas seemed to confirm that old proverb, "Three's a crowd." In the barbecue side-item staple, Three Bean Salad, they always seemed foreign to me. Sure they had certain bean-like qualities, but something just seemed off. It could have been the slightly firm texture. I could have been the spheroid shape. Either way, I was not gonna let them take up valuable paper plate real estate.

It wasn't until I reached adulthood that I came to realize chickpeas were never meant to play third fiddle to other, more recognizable legumes. In fact, they are probably the most noble of all beans, able to stand on their own as the featured player in a variety of dishes spanning cuisines from nearly every continent.

Around our parts you can usually find chickpeas (sometimes called garbanzo beans or chana) in both canned and dry varieties. Deciding which one is better for you comes down to a question of time. While preparing dried chickpeas is not labor intensive, it does take a fair amount of planning. So, the allure of the canned variety is understandable. Luckily, canned chickpeas are perfectly serviceable in many recipes (including our Roasted Red Pepper Hummus recipe at the end of this post), but providing you have the time, go prepare the dried beans. Your meal will benefit for the little extra you put in.

Preparing Dried Chickpeas:

The USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council recommends soaking your chickpeas overnight and then simmering them for 1 1/2- 2 hours in twice as much water as the amount of dried chickpeas used.

Our recipe calls for 2 cups of chickpeas, so that’ll be 4 cups of water, but feel free to make as big of a batch as you like. Chickpeas can be frozen in the water in which they are boiled and kept for about two weeks.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups prepared chickpeas (or one 15 ounce can)
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 cup roasted red peppers (find a great tutorial here)
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a food processor, puree the chickpeas, garlic, tahini, red peppers, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Be sure to scrape the sides of your processor to make sure the hummus is well blended and smooth.

Transfer your hummus to a bowl and refrigerate the mixture for at least one hour.

Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

This recipe is great with pita chips or naan.

Originally posted to The Grub Report by Steve Gibson on May 31, 2007 07:32 PM

Comments

At June 1, 2007 5:33 PM, Nicole Noffsinger said...

Anyone remember the Indian Resturant we had here in the old Marshall's video store on the bypass? They had the best Hummus! I remember not knowing what to try and my dad lathered a piece of bread with the stuff and omg it was great! I have never found any that rivaled the taste but it was awesome!

At June 3, 2007 1:15 PM, James Cramer said...

The funny thing is I always thought that the garbanzo beans were the best part of 3 or 4 bean salad. I grew up thinking that wax beans just weren't ripe yet and green beans should be over cooked, limp, and soggy.

However, I really liked the vinegar dressing, much as I prefer vinegar slaw to salad dressing slaw, so I ate it. I had no other reference for the garbanzo beans so I thought that bean salad was their only use. In college I ate hummus for years without realizing on what it was based.

Here is my suggestion for a very colorful summer salad that is quick and easy to throw together for last minute picnics. I love food with lots of different colors and now they say all the different flavonoids are good for you too.

Colorful Garbanzo Salad

Ingredients: Serves 6
2 15 to 16oz cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and well drained
1 large red bell pepper, diced 1/4-inch (if you double up the recipe, 1 red and 1 yellow)
1 3 to 4 oz can sliced ripe black olives, rinsed and well drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (2/3 cup if you really like it)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
4 large hard boiled eggs, diced
1/2 tsp Kosher or Sea salt
1/4 tsp course ground black pepper

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine garbanzo beans, bell pepper, black olives, green onions and cilantro. Mix in oil and vinegar, then gently toss in eggs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at room temperature.

At June 4, 2007 9:00 AM, James Cramer said...

Sorry, In the ingredients list I forgot that you'll want 6 medium sized green onions washed. Cut into 1/4" pieces tops and all.

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