Saffron Garbanzo Beans Protein-Packed Meal

This is a quick and Creamy Saffron Garbanzo Beans recipe great when craving a great nutritious casserole with a very different flavor kick!

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Eating seasonal

Living in Milan made us realize how widely used is saffron in this region. It is a fundamental part of Lombardy’s staple dish: the saffron risotto.

It is autumn, and we love eating seasonal ingredients. Why? To consume local produce, environmentalism, and of course, flavor. So we decided to have this for lunch given the great variety of mushrooms everywhere these days!

For this vegan chickpea stew, we recommend using various mushrooms and cutting them into different shapes; it contributes to the complexity of the flavors and textures. This recipe, along with the super simple but tasty, traditional Italian Eggplant Stew, is by far or favorite vegetable stews.

Great post-workout meal

The idea to make this vegan vegetable stew surged as we were coming back from our morning run and needed some high-protein-packed lunch. We had shallots, cooked chickpeas, and mushrooms. All ingredients that we love.

A couple of days before we had been fascinated eating the delicious Risotto alla Milanese which's characteristic ingredient is saffron, and we thought it would pair beautifully, and it did!

We have been making this dish for a while, with some variations, as it also makes a great and quick protein-packed dinner.

Ingredients

• Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) pre-boiled
• Mushrooms 
• Vegan mozzarella cheese, or vegan brie
• Shallots or 2 small red onions
• Garlic
• Avocado oil (optional)
• Rosemary and/or dill
• Saffron
• Vegetable stock 

See quantities and full instructions in the recipe card.

Instructions

This recipe is part of our repertoire of How to Make a Protein-Packed Meal (if made with vegan mozzarella a) which works perfectly. It is an instant pot recipe that is made in minutes.

It would be best if you had pre-cooked chickpea beans, vegan mozzarella cheese (or brie), mushrooms, saffron, and herbs.

• Chop. Start chopping your shallots (or red onion), half of the mushrooms, and garlic.
• Stir fry the onions with the oil
• Add the canned or previously cooked chickpeas, saffron, and herbs.
• Stir in the remaining mushrooms.
• Add a dollop of plant "cheese" to each serving.

Variations

Mushrooms - Use shitake mushrooms if you want to give this one-pot dish a more meaty and fleshy texture.

I like using a mix of cremini, portobello, and shitake mushrooms. Just adjust the quantities, to have the same amount of mushrooms.

Cheese - we love using melty vegan cheese, but we use to have this recipe with Brie cheese and it was lovely. If you are vegetarian you can substitute the vegan cheese and you will have the same results. What is important is to have a cheese that will melt quickly minutes before serving the dish.

Herbs - sometimes we use thyme instead of rosemary for a change. It works very well. You can also use a mix of dry Italian herbs.

Pro-tip

How to cook chickpeas. If you are using raw garbanzo beans and you want them to be soft and creamy fast, add a teaspoon of baking soda to the boiling water.

You will see that a froth will come up immediately. Take it away al let it boil. They will take only from fifteen to twenty minutes.

However, it is also recommended to leave the dried chickpeas soaking overnight, to achieve better results.

Benefits of garbanzo beans

Garbanzo beans are a very healthy food.

They are high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein. These make them great allies for weight management to blood sugar control.

Chickpeas are affordable and available at most grocery stores, either canned or raw. They make an excellent meat alternative to supply protein in vegetarian and vegan meals.

More Recipes using garbanzo beans

• Hummus 3-ways
• Quick Crispy Falafels

Looking for Quick Hearty Recipes? Take a look:

• Curried Hearty and Spicy Sprouted Lentils Soup
• Herbs Stuffed Mushrooms
• Roasted Butternut Squash
• Fresh Red Thai Curry

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!

Food safety

We sometimes take for granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

Want to know more about Chickpeas Benefits check HealthLine

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full Nutritional Disclosure here.

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