Ingredient Profile: Chickpeas

I am not exaggerating when I say that I feel romantically toward chickpeas.

Image from all-creatures.org, which has a lovely write-up of chickpeas and their nutritional content. 

For a long time, my only experience with the common garbanzo bean was seeing their strange, lumpy, beige-ness staring at me from salad bars. I thought they looked like pelleted cellulite, and I was not into it.

The first time I felt my heart flutter at the sight of a chickpea was when I discovered Indian food in college. Chana masala (chickpeas in a curried tomato sauce) and chole saag (chickpeas in a rich spinach sauce) are perhaps the best tasting foods in the world, and you can make a lot of curried dishes with chickpeas at home that are simple, filling, and voluminous. (Spicy chickpeas and dill is a personal favorite.) 

I've also included chickpeas in vegetarian chili and spicy African stews with great success. And in a pinch, they perform admirably as part of an Italian-style pasta dish when sauteed with veggies in a little bit of oil until their skins begin to burst; just throw some vegan tomato sauce on top and add to a whole grain pasta of your choice. 

Oddly enough, Bush's really are the best canned chickpeas I've tried, thought most organic brands are equally delicious. 

Furthermore, chickpeas are great on top of a quick salad or even as a snack; I have definitely been known to scoop out a half cup so I can eat them plain with my fingers. They’re slightly nutty and salty straight from the can, with a tender, crumbly texture. They’re capable of taking a backseat to strong spicy flavors, the tangy freshness of tomatoes, or the acidity of vinegar or Dijon. Basically, they’re like a really fantastic character actor, capable of stepping up and stealing a scene when you need them to, or hanging back and supporting your other flavors in their Oscar-bid roles.

More than anything else in my kitchen, chickpeas are my go-to vegan protein of choice, full of protein and iron, satisfying and adaptable.

Perhaps such a ubiquitous food doesn't need an ode, but isn't that the whole point of a blog like this? To simultaneously celebrate and be grateful for those foods that make living the life we’d like to live possible?

Chickpeas are my Meryl Strep, and I will always give them all of my newbie vegan awards.

Image from Thinkprogress.org. Yayyy Meryl!