The first time I ever had a fresh garbanzo bean (or chickpeas, as they are sometimes also called) was a few years ago at a local organic farm in Washington state. I had no idea that garbanzo beans came out of a pod (a farm girl I am not, clearly) and further, that they were green and could be eaten raw, like peas in a pod. It was a bit time consuming to have to take the beans out of the pod, but the taste was like no other. I love cooked garbanzo beans, especially in dips or spreads like hummus. So when I saw that Costco is now selling fresh green garbanzo beans (in the frozen section), I just had to buy a bag.
I’ve made green hummus and garbanzo “guacamole,” both of which were very good, but my favorite thing is to lightly steam (only takes about 1-2 minutes to defrost) them and throw them in with a salad.
Here’s the latest I’ve come up with.
Cran-Walnut Apple Salad w/ Green Garbanzos
I utilized what’s in season right now. Large bags of fresh cranberries are now available at places like Costco and Sam’s Club. Fuji apples are in harvest right now. Fuji apples are a wonderful apple for salads–they have a dense texture, are slightly sweet and crispy. One of my favorite, more versatile varieties.
The combination of textures and flavors makes this salad an excellent choice for an autumn lunch or as a side dish for Thanksgiving.
Also the nutritional stats (see below for more info) for this salad are impressive: high in fiber, protein, calcium, iron, and vitamin C, and meets your daily requirement for omega-3 fats. It’s more than enough for most people as a meal, and certainly delivers on nutrition and taste.
Serves 1-2
- 1 cup frozen green garbanzos, or fresh if you have those available to you!
- 1 large Fuji apple
- 1 cup fresh, whole cranberries
- 1 TBS. 100% maple syrup
- 2 TBS. walnuts (about 8 walnut halves)
- 1 TBS. dried cranberries
- Mixed greens (about 4-6 cups) (a nice combination is a Spring Mix with some baby spinach)
- 1/3 cup fresh, unsweetened apple juice
- 1 TBS. balsamic vinegar
Defrost garbanzo beans (lightly steam or run under hot water in a colander for several minutes). Cut up apple into chunks. Coarsely chop cranberries and walnuts separately (I used my handheld veggie chopper). In a small bowl, thoroughly coat the cranberries with the maple syrup (this takes away much of the tartness of the cranberry), making a slightly sweet cranberry relish. Place the greens in a bowl and layer: garbanzo beans, cranberry relish, apple, walnuts, and dried cranberries. In a small bowl, mix apple juice and balsamic vinegar. If eaten immediately, pour over salad and toss lightly. Otherwise, save until serving.
Nutrition Info, one full recipe: 594 calories, 15 g protein, 12 g fat (1.5 g omega-3), 18 g fiber. Calcium, 282 mg (28% DV), Iron 11 mg (63% DV), Vitamin C, 150 mg, (170% DV). Based using CRON-o-Meter software.
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