Chickpeas with Green Beans - Hummus ma’a Loobya

posted on: Jul 20, 2026

By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer

The 1930s brought severe food shortages to the western prairies of Saskatchewan during those ruthless years of drought.  My parents and our family lived it, suffered through it but survived it. One of the reasons was the prolific availability of chickpeas in our muni where my parents kept two staples of Syrian cooking – lentils and chickpeas.  My father, with his ingenious methods, was able to sustain our family by growing chickpeas in the bottom of the coulees.

            My mother, master of the kitchen, made a seemingly plethora of dishes with chickpeas, taking them to a new level with each one.

1/4 cup olive oil

4 medium onions finely chopped

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked for 24 hours, drained and split

1-pound green beans, washed, trimmed and snapped in half

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon allspice

4 large tomatoes, diced

3 cups water

            In a saucepan, heat the oil and sauté the onions over medium until they begin to brown; then add the chickpeas and green beans and stir-fry for 3 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients including the water; then cover the saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 1 hour or until the chickpeas are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary.

            Serve hot or cold.

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