Chickpeas with Baby Kale

There is another post with a more complicated recipe coming up – a delightful and bizarre treat called, I kid you not, “stuffed monkey.” In the meanwhile, allow me to share a very simple chickpea recipe that works wonderfully for a crowd. I served this to great success at a sheva berachot for my friends. Chickpeas have a long history in Jewish food going back to ancient times, and have been served to huge crowds for almost as long – be it as a snack in Lithuania (where yes, people ate chickpeas) or as the protein of choice in Medieval Egypt. This recipe uses baby kale, but any leafy green will do.

Chickpeas with Baby Kale

1 15oz. can chickpeas, drained

1 lb baby kale, thoroughly washed

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp date honey (silan)

Oil for roasting

Water for blanching.

1. If you want, roast the chickpeas for a few minutes in a hot oven (above 200C/400F) on a greased pan, until they are darker.
2. Boil 1 liter/4 cups water, then pour over the baby kale in a bowl. Leave the kale for three minutes, then drain.
3. Mix the kale with the chickpeas.
4. Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, oil, and date honey, and mix with the chickpeas and kale. Let sit for one hour. Serve at room temperature.