My kitchen is in a constant state of panic. I usually have three things going on the stove, something probably burning in the oven, and 10,000 ingredients to chop. There’s no time to worry about beans simmering on the stove. Praise the genius who invented the slow cooker because the beans can just work their magic all by themselves. Slow cooked chickpeas. You heard me right. And it’s a great thing. When I asked you on Facebook about featuring a slow cooker chickpea recipe on here, you were all about it! So here’s my end of the bargain to you. These chickpeas are beyond better than the canned stuff. They’re: Tastier Fresher Crunchier They’re TFC. Am I weird for thinking that canned chickpeas are a bit too mushy and bland? Quite frankly the canned goods don’t do much to make my salads any sexier. These beans though…where do I even begin? They have a natural crunch and they’re infused with the broth that they’re cooked in. But enough talk, let’s get ready to make them. First, we’re going to give a pound of chickpeas a quick bath and drain out all the water. Then, we fill the slow cooker with 6 cups of vegetable stock, or whatever stock you prefer. Add a teaspoon of salt and some bay leaves for flavor. Set it on low for 8 hours, and that’s it! Perfectly cooked chickpeas—about 6 cups total. You’ll notice that there’s still some broth left. Make sure to save it! It is the one of the best stock bases I’ve used for a soup. I’ll show you how to do that next week. But for now, let’s make a hummus. I’ve been buying so much red beet hummus lately that I thought it was about time to make my own. I can’t get over it’s lovely hue and slightly sweet flavor. Serve the hummus as a bruschetta or dip your favorite vegetables in this magenta wonder. You can’t go wrong with this one! Looking for more dip ideas?
Butternut Squash, Hummus & Guacamole Dip
