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Roasted garbanzos and cauliflower with green beans, lemon and kalamata olives

By Blair Manley • February 9, 2015 • 1 Comments

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Roasted garbanzos and cauliflower with green beans, lemon and kalamata olives — Photo by Sara Meyer

Author Notes: On my way home from work one day, I was chatting with my aunt, my cooking inspiration. She described a few new recipes she had recently tried, including one featuring roasted garbanzo beans. Intrigued by her description of their crunchy texture, I raided my fridge and pantry and threw together this quick vegetarian main course. This dish is now a regular in our weeknight rotation; the crunchy garbanzo beans, creamy cauliflower, salty kalamata olives, and tangy lemon are irresistible. —Blair Manley

Serves 2 as an entree, 4-6 as a side

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 head of cauliflower, cut into thin florets
3/4 pound green beans, trimmed
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon zest (from approx. 2 large lemons)
1/2 cup kalamata olives, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Toss the rinsed garbanzo beans and cauliflower with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cauliflower is browned and the garbanzo beans are crisp.
Add the trimmed green beans to the pot of salted water. Cook for a few minutes until crisp-tender. Shock in ice water to halt the cooking.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and lemon zest. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the green beans and saute for 3-4 minutes until the green beans reach your desired tenderness. In this recipe, I prefer them to be tender with the slightest bite.
Optional: To fancy this recipe up for a dinner party, I've tossed in a 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts or a 1/4 cup of fresh grated Parmesan cheese.