I like to think that along with the seven wonders of the world, there are seven wonders of food. Or maybe even more, but so far, I’ve only found one: the chickpea.
The Chickpea holds so much more value than the average bean does. In fact, it is the culinary core of many cultures. Evidence of its existence has dated back to 10,000 BCE, in parts of Turkey and Syria. Since then, it has been domestically cultivated by an assortment of countries throughout the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Its uses are infinite, and I often humor the idea of creating an entire diet around chickpeas. After all, chickpeas can make just about anything.
Even in its traditional uses, chickpeas are extremely versatile: For instance, Chickpeas have been used in India for centuries to make a variety of sweet and savory dishes. The dried beans can be ground into a flour which is used to make crackers, sweets, and breads. Cooked chickpeas are used in salads, stews, and more. In parts of the Middle East, chickpeas are commonly used to make hummus, salads, falafels, and other traditional Mediterranean dishes.
The uses for chickpeas have increased dramatically as people continue to combine aspects of its uses from different cultures and innovate more recipes. Additionally, Chickpeas are one of the most reliable sources of vegetarian protein, so they continue to be a key part of many diets across the world. In fact, chickpeas supply 20% of the world with protein.
At this point, my admiration for the legume might not be so subtle anymore, as well as my awe for the myriad of ways humans have consumed chickpeas. I wanted to take part in this aspect of making history, so I decided to pioneer my own chickpea recipe.
Here it is: Chickpeas mousse. Or pudding, or cake frosting, or whipped cream, or whatever you want to call it. The point is, it's unbelievably creamy, decadent, and delicious. Smear it on a cake for the perfect vegan frosting, spread it on toast for the nutella alternative you never knew you needed, or demolish the whole thing plain for a simple and delicious dessert. Either way, you won’t regret it.
Ingredients (2-3 servings):
1 can of Chickpeas
3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 ice cube
1-2 tablespoons of Cocoa Powder (to taste)
1-2 tablespoons of sweetener (to taste)
¼ teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
Recipe:
Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly. Then add the chickpeas to a pot of boiling water, along with ½ teaspoon of baking soda. Boil for 7 minutes, then drain.
Combine all of the ingredients, except the ice cube, in a blender jar and blend until smooth. Add the ice cube, and blend once more.
Serve the chocolate chickpea mousse plain, topped with fruit, on toast, on cake, in a smoothie, or in any other way.
Enjoy!