Miso Chickpeas with Cremini Mushrooms

For a tasty and healthy side dish, this chickpeas recipe is hard to beat in my book. Recently, I discovered that I am lucky enough to live by a winter farmer’s market. As might be expected, the selection is rather limited this time of year (it turns out plants don’t particularly care for a Midwestern winter). However, I have been lucky enough to snag some fresh local produce, in particular mushrooms and micro greens. The micro greens people, Tiny Green Organic Farm, even make and sell their own tofu!

This chickpeas recipe was my attempt at incorporating that limited fresh produce into my diet. The main star of this healthy side dish recipe is garbanzo beans. Within the entire legume family, I find that garbanzo beans are more substantial than other beans. Plus, I can get a half-pound bag of dry garbanzo beans from $1.29 at my local grocery store. The other big flavor profile in this side dish recipe is the miso. This fermented paste (mine is from soybeans) imparts a distinct salty smoothness to this chickpeas recipe, and I even think a little sweetness too.

Miso Chickpeas with Cremini Mushrooms
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons miso paste
• 2 teaspoons dried ginger
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracker
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 4-6 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1-2 cups chickpeas, cooked
• 2.5 ounces organic sunflower greens (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a large container, combine the soy sauce, miso, ginger, sesame seeds, garlic, mustard, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix thoroughly to combine.
2. Add the mushrooms to the soy sauce mixture and mix well to combine. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over a medium-high heat, and then add the garbanzo beans once the pan is hot. Saute the cooked chickpeas until the outside gets crispy, about 5 minutes.
4. Once the chickpeas are crispy, add the mushrooms and all of the marinade to the pan. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and the sauce has been reduced, about 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Once the mushrooms are almost done, add the greens if desired. Serve and enjoy.

Overall, I was very pleased with how this chickpeas recipe turned out. The mushrooms and the sauce added a lot of flavor, and the garbanzo beans added heft and texture. While I love chickpeas, I find them to be a bit bland on their own, so they counteracted well with the strongly-flavored sauce. The greens added some color and freshness to this side dish recipe, but it would still be delicious without them. Also, I’m a huge fan of cremini mushrooms, but white button mushrooms would work for this recipe as well. Plus, you could omit the miso if you’re having a hard time finding it, but the flavor will definitely not be the same. I had meant to make this chickpeas recipe as a side dish, but it was so good that I ended up making a meal out of it.

Your turn: What is your favorite way to cook with garbanzo beans?