A Pot of Garbanzos
- everythingisonthe
- Apr 3, 2019
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 9, 2019
+ Kindness Week
I sell heirloom beans for a living. It may be the most random job ever. But I love it. And I have learned to love beans. Not just because they are healthy and so much better for the environment than meat, but because they taste good.
Everyone asks me which beans are my favorite and while there are a few at the top of my list, my everyday, go-to bean is the garbanzo. It is so versatile—it's at home in pretty much any salad, soup, curry, or just on its own as a snack (as my children prefer it). I cook a half-pound in my slow cooker and am able to enjoy them in dishes throughout the week. And the cooking broth is like gold.
If you're cooking dried garbanzos, make sure they are good quality. Some of the dried beans you buy at the market can be super old, and old garbanzos take an especially long time to cook. I of course recommend Rancho Gordo for all your bean needs.
What's pictured above is garbanzos with quickly sautéed spinach, preserved lemon, plain yogurt, and flaky salt. I'm not sure why I added yogurt, but I really liked how it mellowed out the other flavors (I actually ended up adding another dollop of yogurt as I gobbled this up for lunch).
You can also see a little heart in the back corner of the photo. My daughter made that for Kindness Week at her school. She had a list of "kind" things to do, and she took this very seriously, methodically going through the list and checking off each item. Even though she was serious and methodical about it, I think it was one of her favorite weeks yet at school and it really made her happy to go out of her way to make other people happy. This quote from the Dalai Lama is so true—kindness goes both ways:
"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."
(For more of the Dalai Lama on joy and compassion, this book is great: The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World.)
I love that schools are making a concentrated effort to teach things like kindness. What could be more important than that?
Okay, back to beans! You can use this simple method for any type of dried bean. Check often for doneness as the cooking time varies by bean variety and age.
A Pot of Garbanzos (or any dried beans for that matter!)
1/2 lb dried garbanzos, rinsed and picked through
1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary or sage, 1 bay leaf, and/or 1 tablespoon dried oregano (I use Rancho Gordo Oregano Indio)
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
To cook in a slow cooker: Place the garbanzos in the slow cooker and cover with 3 to 4 inches of water. Add the onion, garlic, salt, and olive oil and give it a good stir. Cover and cook on the high-heat setting until garbanzos are completely soft, about 4 hours.
To cook on the stovetop: In a large pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garbanzos and enough water to cover them by about 3 inches. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, then boil for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until garbanzos are completely soft, about 1 1/2 hours. Once the garbanzos begin to soften, stir in the salt. Add more boiling water to the pot as needed to keep the garbanzos covered by at least 2 inches of water.
Need some more Garbanzo inspo? Here are some of my favorite recipes from around the world wide web:
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