Chickpeas and Green Beans with Balsamic Mushrooms

Here’s an appealing medley of chickpeas and green beans embellished with brown mushrooms sautéed in balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Though it’s meant to be served at room temperature, I hesitate to call this a salad. So let’s just call it a cool dish that goes well with many kinds of meals.

I often talk about ingredients that are a “flavor bomb” or “yum factor” and I would say that the balsamic-sautéed mushrooms in this dish serve as both! It’s also super-easy and quick it is to make this dish, and it’s one that transports well to potlucks.

A year-round dish: It’s a sturdy dish for an outdoor summer dinner with grilled vegetables. It’s just as good in cool weather, even winter, when traditional salads just don’t call to you.

Complete the meal

A simple hot grain (quinoa, bulgur, rice, etc.) or baked potato or sweet potato would be a perfect pairing in the cooler months. Spring through summer, you can serve it with fresh corn on the cob and a side-by-side potato salad (here’s a roundup of vegan potato salad recipes) or coleslaw (ditto for this roundup of vegan coleslaws).

What’s great about chickpeas

Even those who aren’t keen on beans might make an exception for versatile, tasty chickpeas, a.k.a. garbanzos. Americans have come to appreciate them in popular Middle Eastern, Indian and Mediterranean dishes. Here’s everything you need to know about chickpeas.

If chickpeas have any drawback, it’s their long cooking time—up to three hours. In this case, the canned version has a definite advantage. Of course, if you have an Instant Pot® or pressure cooker, that’s a different story.

Easy ways to use chickpeas: In addition to being a great legume for soups and stews, there are lots of great uses for chickpeas:

• They shine as the stars of soups, stews, and curries
• Mashed and seasoned, chickpeas make an excellent sandwich spread.
• Pureed, they thicken hearty vegetable soups and make a good base for dips like hummus.
• Pan-roasted, they become an addictive yet blessedly low-fat snack.
• Chickpeas are delicious in green salads, or as the main ingredient in heartier salads.

Explore more …

• Savory and delicious olive recipes
• Easy green bean recipes
• Easy and tasty chickpea recipes
• Tasty, Easy Bean Salad Recipes
• Chickpea Salad and Sandwich Spread

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Yield: 4 to 6

Chickpeas and Green Beans with Balsamic Mushrooms

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Chickpeas and green beans embellished with brown mushrooms sautéed in balsamic vinegar and olive oil is a room-temperature dish that goes well with so many kinds of meals.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 ounces mushrooms, preferably cremini (aka baby bella)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cups green beans, fresh or frozen (thawed), cut into 1-inch lengths
• 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 4 small tomatoes, diced, or 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped green pimiento olives (see note)
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro, optional
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Clean and stem the mushrooms, then slice them.
2. Heat half of the vinegar and oil in a medium skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they’re nicely glazed, about 5 minutes. No liquid should remain in the pan. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
3. Use the same skillet to steam the green beans just until bright green and tender-crisp. Use just enough water to keep the pan moist. 
4. Transfer the steamed green beans to a colander and rinse with cool running water until they’ve stopped steaming. Drain well and transfer to the mixing bowl with the mushrooms.
5. Add the remaining ingredients plus the additional olive oil and balsamic vinegar (you can omit the extra tablespoon of olive oil if you prefer). 
6. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and serve at once. 

Notes

You can buy chopped green olives in a jar (sometimes labeled "salad olives") or chop them by hand if whole.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 205Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 366mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 9gSugar: 9gProtein: 9g

Nutrition data is always an estimate depending on program used to calculate and exact products used. This is given for informational purposes only and accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

See lots more plant-rich salads & sides.