Garbanzo Beans

The most recent food that I have whipped up for Andrew is Garbanzo Beans! You might think…really, Garbanzo Beans? Yes, these beans are very nutritious and are great to mix with so many other foods. Andrew is fine just eating plain vegetable purees, but I really like to mix together little dinners for him that combine a vegetable or two and some kind of grain or protein. Since he is not eating meat yet, I like to use beans that contain protein in them so that he is getting that nutrient. The other great thing about beans is fiber! What baby could not use a little more fiber in their diet!!!

I found that pureeing garbanzo beans is easy, but the prep is more time consuming than most fruits and veggies. The pay of is well worth the extra time because you can get a bag of beans for a couple of dollars and you end up with 3 trays of cubes and a little extra to use for a few days after you make them!

Basic Garbanzo Bean Puree

1 1lb bag of Garbanzo Beans (dried)
16-24 ounces of purified or boiled water

Directions:

You must soak the beans for 8 hours before cooking them. Place beans into a large bowl or pot and rinse with water. Drain the beans, place back into pot or bowl and add 8 cups of cool water to beans and let set. You can let them sit overnight so they are ready the next day to cook.

Once beans have soaked, drain the beans and rinse once more. When beans are drained again, fill large pot with water and add beans. Bring the beans to a boil, turn down heat, add lid and let simmer for 2 ½ hours until they start to pop open. When they pop open, they are very soft and ready to be pureed.

Drain the beans and place half into blender. Add 8 ounces of water to begin with and puree until all blended, you may need to add about 4 more ounces of water depending on the thickness of puree you want. Once the first half is done, pour into trays and then puree the second half following same directions. You should get 3 trays of cubes and some extra to store in the fridge for a few days!

Add the beans to any veggie or veggie combo you want! Your baby will love the new taste and texture of these beans and you’ll love the nutrients they provide!