Cresson, Garbanzo Beans, Dates Salad

I am absolutely in love with garbanzo beans or chickpeas.

Any opportunity to have them incorporated into my meal is always a plus for me.

However, all this started because, at our local grocery store, it was the first time I noticed they carried cresson salad or watercress for my Anglo-Saxon friends.

I enjoyed it often growing up in France and was super excited to bring it home and prepare a dish with it. But I did not want to prepare your basic salad either.

I have also been experimenting with new spices. Therefore, wanted to play outside my box and this recipe is the result.

Do not let the easiness of the recipe fool you. The rich flavor of the garbanzo beans that have retained the flavor of the onion, garlic, and thyme, blended with scallions, sumac, sweet chopped dates, and lemon, is out of this world.

I found myself having to make a double batch as I never have leftovers.

It is the perfect party dish as well, as it can be prepared halfway through the day before and at the last minute assembled with the cresson.

In this Article

What is Cresson? and its benefits.

Cresson or watercress is a green leafy vegetable that is very rich in vitamins A, B, C, E, and K and is considered one of the healthiest vegetables with more than 50 vital minerals and vitamins.

Same family as kale, and broccoli. Nutritious yet extremely low in calories.

An aquatic green that grows in cool, shallow streams. Considered one of the oldest salad greens. It is known that ancient Romans dressed raw watercress with pepper, cumin, and fish sauce.

Garbanzo Beans and dates

Garbanzo beans and dates are highly nutritional too. Here, you have a healthy packed lunch or dinner in your hands.

A fully vegan, gluten-free, packed salad will leave you satisfied and light.

I am adding sumac to my repertoire of spices and cooking.

I love the flavor and how well it marries with lemon juice. They complement each other well.

It is quite a diversified spice that blends well with other herbs, too.

Why am I boiling the Garbanzo beans?

A while back I prepared a chickpeas recipe, Chickpeas, Cauliflower, Curry vinaigrette that required some boiling.

I really enjoyed how much softer the bite of the garbanzo beans was thus, I wanted to use that method here while adding extra flavors to it.

The dressing penetrated deeper into the garbanzo beans, giving this salad a richer savory flavor to it.

If you were to choose to use dry garbanzo beans, please do soak them overnight in a large bowl of cold water, and change the water a couple of times during that period.

Once they are rehydrated and ready to be enjoyed, use the same boiling process. This will give each bean an extra layer of flavor.

What is Sumac

Sumac is a Mediterranean spice with a pungent, lemony flavor. It can be substituted with lemon zest, lemon juice, or lemon pepper seasoning.

Preparation tips

• You can prepare the garbanzo and all the other ingredients except the cresson the day before and keep it refrigerated.
• Bring to room temperature, and add the cresson to it.
• Mix well and add more olive oil if you so desire, and you have a quick last-minute meal ready quickly.
• During the cooking time of the garbanzo beans, prepare all the other ingredients. This will allow you to be sitting at the table within 30 minutes.
• You can substitute the cresson with arugula salad. A slight change in flavor due to the bitter nature of the arugula, however, the dates compensate for that.

Enjoy this super easy recipe either as a light lunch or as a side dish to any proteins. My favorite would be alongside fish.

Originally published on October 20, 2020. Updated on January 31, 2022