Cooking with Garbanzo Beans

Have you heard of garbanzo beans before?  Garbanzo beans are legumes and also known as chickpeas.  Garbanzo beans are a great source of protein and fiber.  Garbanzo beans can be found in dried form or canned.  There are many different ways to use garbanzo beans in your weekly recipes. 
Add to a salad.  Garbanzo beans are a great addition to any salad.  Rinse cooked or canned garbanzo beans and toss with cucumbers, onions, bell peppers, low-fat cheese, and a favorite low-fat salad dressing. Or make this classic bean salad.

Make Hummus.  Garbanzo beans are the main ingredient in many hummus recipes.  Make Homemade Hummus with this easy recipe.  Put hummus on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise.  Hummus is also a great dip to use with veggies like cucumbers, carrots, and celery.

Create a crunchy snack.  Rinse canned garbanzo beans, pat dry, and then bake at 450 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  After baking, sprinkle with your favorite spices. Some seasoning ideas include:

• Cinnamon and sugar
• Chili powder or taco seasoning
• Garlic and parmesan

Enjoy a dessert dip.  Garbanzo beans can be used to create a sweet dip to use with apple slices, other fruit or cinnamon chips.  Try the recipe below!

Introduce garbanzo beans to your children!  Rinse canned garbanzo beans and place in a bowl for them to taste.  Let them try garbanzo beans by themselves or use garbanzo beans to create a new snack from our ideas!

Now that you have learned many ways to enjoy garbanzo beans, save money by cooking them from scratch.

Apple Pie Dip

Ingredients:

1 can garbanzo or navy beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup  applesauce
2 Tablespoons cashew butter (or any nut butter)
2 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
 

Directions:

1.    Blend together all ingredients until very smooth.
2.    Chill for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.