This green chickpea recipe is about how to cook fresh garbanzo beans by shelling them from the pod, boiling for a couple minutes and then tossing with olive oil and favorite spices or herbs.
Fresh or raw green garbanzo beans are also know as green chickpeas. They don't come along very often so grab them when you can.
Are Garbanzo Beans Chickpeas?
Yup. Garbanzo beans are the same as chickpeas - use the terms interchangeably.
One more time, garbanzo beans are the same as chickpeas.
Find fresh green garbanzo beans in the grocery store or farmers market in the spring or summer.
What Do Green Chickpeas Taste Like?
Fresh chickpeas taste like classic beans. They are hearty, earthy, and nutty. They are firmer than green peas and also a little bit grainy compared to a butter bean or kidney bean.
How To Cook Fresh Chickpeas / Garbanzo Beans
Look for fresh plump green chickpea pods that don't have brown spots or wilting. The fresh green chickpea pod is plump and slightly fuzzy. The chickpea pod is not edible.
Shelled garbanzo beans or green chickpeas can be eaten fresh and raw but they are a little tough. I suggest boiling them or pan frying them for a couple minutes to get them a bit more tender.
Cooking fresh green chickpeas is fast and easy but shelling the beans means "putting in the work". Think of it as therapeutic meditation. You can not rush it. Be with the bean!
Cooking fresh green chickpeas is simple and easy:
- Shell the green chickpea from the furry small pod. (watch video in recipe).
- Throw the shelled green chickpea in simmering water for 2-3 minutes or until tender.
- Toss beans with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Add any favorite herbs, spices, or seasonings if desired.
You can also throw the whole garbanzo bean pod (with shell) into boiling water and eat as a snack like edamame that is still in the pod.
One comment from a reader (see comments below) said that they grew chickpeas growing up and would just pick and eat them raw.
Serving Fresh Garbanzo Beans
Eat fresh green chickpeas as a side dish or put them on your favorite salad.
Don't have time for fresh chickpeas or can't find them? Cool - open a can of chickpeas and enjoy this Romaine and Chickpea Salad.
Fresh Green Chickpeas / Green Garbanzo Beans FAQS
YUP! Different word, same thing - use both words interchangeably. Garbanzo beans are the same as chickpeas and chickpeas are the same as garbanzo beans.
YUP! Chickpeas that are fresh and green can be eaten raw (if young and tender). They can also be frozen for later (like green peas), or steamed / cooked for a couple minutes.
Find them in the spring to summer - around April to July. Look for them in your grocery store or at the farmers market.
Chickpeas are freshly harvested when they are green. They should still be soft enough to eat raw or with a quick boil or pan fry.
Brown chickpeas are harvested later and canned. Dark brown hard chickpeas have been dried and, like all dry beans, need to still be cooked / boiled for a long time.
Serving Suggestion
Serve this delicious fresh Garbanzo Beans recipe with these complementary dishes to round out your dinner:
You May Also Like
If you like fresh Chickpeas, you may also like these bean recipes:
Things In My Kitchen:
- Strainers - Love this set of three fine mesh strainers.
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Fresh Garbanzo Beans Recipe (Green Chickpeas)
EatSimpleFood.com
Fresh or raw garbanzo beans ( green chickpeas ) don't come along very often. This fresh grarbanzo bean recipe is all about how to cook them by shelling them from the pod, boiling for a couple minutes and then tossing with olive oil and your favorite spices or herbs.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 3 cups (~ 6 oz) fresh garbanzo beans ( green chickpeas )
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a medium sized pot water to a boil. Add a little salt.
- Shell the green chickpeas. This is easy to do but may be time consuming. You'll get two beans in a pod if you're lucky.
- Throw the shelled garbanzo beans in the boiling water and cook ~ 2-3 minutes or until desired doneness.
- Strain
green chickpeas and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Add salt to taste. Happy Eating! Beckie
green chickpeas and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Notes
You can also throw the whole green chickpea pod (with shell) into boiling water and eat as a snack like edamame that is still in the pod.
Oh, I just did at batch of chickpeas exactly like this and my wife went wild. Like, grand slam level success. Thanks a lot!
Hi, just reaching out because I saw this article and noticed it mentioned Chickpeas available a certain time of the year. Well, I had to mention that I am with Califresh of California and we are the only Packer/shipper fo Fresh Green Ckickpeas year round! We are in Central California (Sanger to be exact). Just so everyone is aware, they can be acquired year round, your grocer/produce distributor just has to source them.
Ha! Love this. I wish my husband would shell these for me too. Thanks for the note Scott!
We grow it and normally eat it raw. Just shell it and eat it. It was a treat when we were still young in the 1960'
That sounds delicious to eat it fresh like that Josette! I will try it. We had corn fields growing up and sometimes ate it raw. It was so fresh and tender.
Nice treat! Thanks for the recipe. They're tasty just boiled; will use them in my green salad to add protein and taste!
Yum! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and tell us how you use them Yno!
I saw these in the supermarket and was intrigued. I bought them having no idea how to eat or cook them. I looked it up to see if I could get a recipe and other information. I saw this article and I am going to cook my chickpeas right now. Thank you for this great quick and easy recipe. I am also going to try making it in some way with white hominy .
Thank you for the comment Ann. Fresh chickpeas sound delicious with hominy! - Beckie