Minty Chickpea, Green Bean, & Tomato Salad

According to Wikipedia, chickpeas have been cultivated by humans for 7,500 years. The name “chickpea” dates back at least to the 1300s in French. The name “garbanzo” first came to English from Spanish, in the 17th century. Others call them Ceci/Cece/Chichi beans. No matter the name, they’re delicious and nutritious, and present in many of the world’s cuisines. They’re used in stews, curries, snack, salads, hummus, and more. Here they join fresh garden veggies and mint for a bright side salad.

The recipe includes cooking just the amount of dried chickpeas you need. You can substitute ½ cup canned, but the nutrition info – particularly sodium – will change. Better yet, if you’ve cooked a whole pound of Dried Chickpeas in your Instant Pot, you can just grab some out of your freezer.

Which name do you use for chickpeas? Let me know in the comments! You’ll find a printer-friendly version of the recipe at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:

¼ cup dry chickpeas, picked & rinsed

½ fresh jalapeño

1 small clove garlic

1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint

2 tsp Grapefruit White Balsamic Vinegar (May substitute another white balsamic)

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

⅛ tsp kosher salt

⅛ tsp black pepper

½ cup green beans, trimmed (~2 oz.)

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh tomatoes (about 1 medium tomato)

¼ cup thinly sliced red onion

Preparation:

2.) Mince the garlic & jalapeño. Combine with the mint, vinegar, olive oil, salt, & pepper.

3.) Steam the green beans until just hot; plunge into ice water. Drain.

4.) Place chickpeas, green beans, tomato, and onion in a medium bowl. Add the jalapeño mixture, and stir gently to combine.

Minty Chickpea, Green Bean, & Tomato Salad

Servings: 2
Print

Ingredients

¼ cup dry chickpeas, picked & rinsed (You can substitute ½ cup canned, but the nutrition info – particularly sodium – will change.)
½ fresh jalapeño
1 small clove garlic
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 tsp Grapefruit White Balsamic Vinegar (May substitute another white balsamic)
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
⅛ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
½ cup green beans, trimmed (~2 oz.)
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh tomatoes (about 1 medium tomato)
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion

Directions

1.) Place the chickpeas in a small pan, cover with at least an inch of water, and soak overnight. The next day, place on stove, adding more water as needed to keep the chickpeas covered. Bring to a boil, cooking for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer for about 30 minutes, or until tender. (Note: if your beans are older, as many grocery store beans are, you’ll likely need a longer cooking time.) Remove from heat, drain, and let cool.
2.) Mince the garlic & jalapeño. Combine with the mint, vinegar, olive oil, salt, & pepper.
3.) Steam the green beans until just hot; plunge into ice water. Drain.
4.) Place chickpeas, green beans, tomato, and onion in a medium bowl. Add the jalapeño mixture, and stir gently to combine.