Fresh Chickpeas

Fresh Chickpeas

(c) Dorine Houston 2008, all rights reserved 

A new discovery about an old friend is delightful!  Chickpeas are an old friend; I talked about them last month.  Dry chickpeas are a very old friend.  You soak them then simmer them a couple of hours in order to use in soups, stews and salads.  Some people use canned ones for the same purposes.  I object to canned ones, and for that matter any canned beans, because they are not as flavorful, they have to much added sodium and they lose more water soluble B complex vitamins when you pour off the liquid and rinse them. 

The other day at the market, I saw something new, fresh chickpeas still in the pod.  Who can resist something new, or something old in a new guise?  Surround, capture and bring home!  If my camera were working, you would get pictures.  A description must suffice.  The green pods are about 3/4" long and half as wide, a flattened round with points at each end.  They pop open easily.  There is one chickpea inside.  A few had two, but not enough to make me think having two is the norm.  A fresh chickpea has a green tinge that disappears when dry and the chickpeas are then tan.  As is usual with legumes, you end up with about half the original weight when you discard the pods. 

I've always enjoyed shelling peas and beans.  You get to sit and watch the evening news while preparing dinner! 

I simmered them in enough water to cover with a bay leaf and 3 whole black peppercorns.  They were wonderfully tender in 30 minutes. 

I drained them and put them in a salad bowl.  I drizzled them with some extra virgin olive oil and added a bit of minced garlic, some salt and some smoked sweet Spanish paprika. 

Delicious! 

Not to mention heart-healthy, rich in B complex vitamins, fiber, plant protein and several minerals. 

Then I created a dish informed by Greek flavors. 


Greek-Spirited Chickpea Salad

1 lb./450g fresh chickpeas, shelled 
2 bay leaves
1 sprig rosemary 
3 whole black peppercorns 

3 oz./90g feta cheese, crumbled or finely diced 
1/4 cup/60ml extra virgin olive oil 
Generous pinch fresh Greek oregano, minced 
Leaves from 4 sprigs thyme 
1 clove garlic, minced 
2 oz./45g Greek olives, coarsely chopped 

Put the chickpeas, bay leaves, rosemary and peppercorns in a saucepan and cover with water.  Simmer, covered, 30 minutes or until tender (depending on the size of the chickpeas).  Drain and discard herbs and peppercorns. 

Toss with remaining ingredients. 

Presentation: 
Serve in the kind of flat soup plates that have wide rims and a small bowl area.  If you like, garnish with unpeeled Kirby (pickling cucumber) or Armenian cucumber slices and a wedge of lemon that can be squeezed over the individual portion.  If you need to keep it simpler, garnish simply with flat-leaf parsley or basil leaves. 

Serves 4 as a dinner starter or 2 as a main dish.