Fresh Garbanzo Beans Recipe

I've tried dried, and I've tried canned, but until this morning, I have never tried fresh. I stumbled on a basket of these pods at Rainbow Grocery, and paid $4.99 for a generous basket full of them.

I couldn't seem to find a recipe online that calls for (or talks about) 'fresh' garbanzo beans, so I decided to treat them like edamame, which they sort of resemble in appearance. A couple differences I noticed: The garbanzo bean pods are much thinner and seem to hold only one bean. The pod has a papery feel to it, edamame feels more velvet in texture.

I opted for boiling them, just for a minute to two to cook to soften up the beans. Next time I will try steaming. The pods have holes in them, and filled up with water. This was not a problem until I went to squeeze the bean out of the pod. Their ability to squirt was impressive.

They beans stayed green in color. I boiled them in salted water, and ended up being mild in taste and flavor. The have a texture much more exaggerated than the canned or dried ones. They look like a miniature green brain.

A fun twist on eating vegetables from the pod. I'm not sure if kids will like these or not. Seems like the kind of thing they would be fascinated by and love, or be grossed out by entirely.

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