Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea)
A slightly nutty-flavored classic bean, essential for Middle Eastern, Mexican, and European cooking.
If you are used to canned Garbanzo beans, Rancho Gordo's Garbanzos will be a revelation. Firm yet creamy, with an addictive flavor and texture. New-crop harvest ensures quicker cooking and fresher flavor.
Unlike most of their other beans, Garbanzos aren't indigenous to the Americas, but they love them so much and the imported crops tend to be so old and dusty that they make this one of their California crops.
1 lb bag.
- Check beans for debris, and rinse thoroughly.
- In a large pot, sauté aromatic vegetables (onions, garlic, celery, carrot, etc.) in olive oil.
- Add beans and enough water to cover by about 2 inches.
- Bring to a full boil for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, using a lid to help regulate the heat, and gently cook until done, 1 to 3 hours.
- Salt when the beans start to soften. A pre-soak of 2 to 6 hours will lessen the cooking time.
Many recipes suggest baking soda and 24 hour soaking to soften Garbanzos. We find this unnecessary with Rancho Gordo's new crop beans. Soaking isn't even necessary, unless you prefer to do it.
All of Steve Sando's (founder and CEO of Rancho Gordon) agricultural pursuits have been driven by a passion for cooking and a frustration with the limited availability of certain ingredients—particularly those native to the Americas. One of the qualities that initially drew him to beans was their indigenous origin. To him, these native ingredients should be familiar, if not commonplace. As American cuisine continues to reinvent itself, they hope to see ingredients, traditions, and recipes from both North and South America play a larger role in that evolution. They love the concept of “The Americas” and believe it is just as essential as the European heritage many people share.