Dottie's post inspired me to look up some recipes for garbanzo beans in my "The New American Diet" cookbook. Their recipes are all about lower sodium, so these might need a sprinkle of salt (or two) to suit your taste.

Garbanzo Goulash

1 1/2 cups uncooked small shell macaroni or 2 cups uncooked large size macaroni
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons oil
1 can (16 oz) garbanzo beans, drained
1 can (16 oz) unsalted tomatoes (or you could use fresh)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon ground cumin
(Salt and pepper)

Cook macaroni in unsalted boiling water according to package directions. In the meantime, saute onions in oil until tender. Add drained beans and canned tomatoes with juice. Cut up canned tomatoes with a spatula and let simmer until the macaroni is ready. Drain the macaroni, add it to the bean-tomato mixture and mix. Add the seasonings, and for best flavor, let it simmer for a few minutes until the macaroni has been lightly colored by the tomato juice. Makes 3 or 4 servings.

Greek Style Garbanzo Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large potato, diced
1 sprig parsley, finely chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cans (16 oz each) garbanzo beans, drained
5 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube

Saute the onions, garlic, and celery in the oil until soft. Add the remaining vegetables, tomato paste, and pepper. Add beans, water, and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir well before serving. Makes 14 cups.

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Here is how to prepare the garbanzo beans from dry instead of buying canned:

Garbanzo Beans from Dry

Measure the amount of beans to cook. Garbanzo beans will roughly double in size after cooking - so if you need 4 cups of beans measure 2 cups of dried beans to prepare.

Place dry beans in a bowl that is large enough to allow for the beans to expand. Fill the bowl with water to at least 3 inches above the beans. Place in the refrigerator and let soak several hours or overnight.

For a faster soak: put them in the microwave and zap until the water boils. Then let stand 2 or 3 hours. Cut one in half, and it's done soaking if there isn't a dry center in the bean. This shortens the soaking time by several hours.

Drain beans in a colander. Place beans in a large stockpot and cover with fresh water to at least 3 inches above beans. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer about an hour until cooked but not mushy. Stir occasionally and make sure there is plenty of water.