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FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50. For orders or assistance: 1-800-599-8323

FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50. For orders or assistance: 1-800-599-8323

FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50. For orders or assistance: 1-800-599-8323
Black Garbanzo Bean - Rancho Gordo
Black Garbanzo Bean - Rancho Gordo
Black Garbanzo Bean - Rancho Gordo
4.9
(21 ratings)

Black Garbanzo Bean

$ 7.25
Title

Free shipping on orders $50+

Known as Ceci Neri in Italy, these rare heirloom legumes have a firm texture and an irresistible earthy, nutty flavor.

Black Garbanzos are much denser than classic Garbanzos, making them ideal for salads, stews, or even baked dishes. The skins are thicker but they are not chewy or tough, just a little more interesting.

We've been pursuing Black Chickpeas for years, chasing a memory from an incredible meal in Italy. We are happy to offer these to you, grown in California, but (we think) just as incredible as the Italian-grown version.

Very popular in many regions in Italy, including Puglia, where they are enjoyed as zuppa di ceci neri (black chickpea soup).

Cooking Suggestions

Salads, soups, stews, casseroles, curries, hummus

From the Rancho Gordo Kitchen

Black Garbanzos are ideal for simple salads with seasonal vegetables and rustic stews. They are not the same as the Kala/Black Chana chickpeas that are popular in Indian cooking, but they would still shine in a curry.

We thought they might be too dense for hummus, but we were proven wrong by a local chef who made an unforgettable hummus with them.

Cooking Instructions

Check beans for debris, and rinse thoroughly. In a large pot, sauté aromatic vegetables (onions, garlic, celery, carrot, etc.) in olive oil. Add beans and enough water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a full boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, using a lid to help regulate the heat, and gently cook until done, 1 to 3 hours. Salt when the beans start to soften. A pre-soak of 2 to 6 hours will lessen the cooking time.

Similar to

Garbanzo

Latin name

Cicer arietinum

Country of origin

USA

"Heirloom beans come from seeds passed down through generations, beloved and preserved for their distinctive features. For those in the know, Napa-based company Rancho Gordo is the go-to source.

Rancho Gordo has supplied home cooks and restaurant chefs since 2001 with heirloom beans from a network of small farms on the West Coast and in Mexico. The unrivaled flavor complexity and textured nuances of these beans earned Rancho Gordo a cult following."

Tim Cebula

Blue Zones (bluezones.com)

CUSTOMER REVIEWS

4.9

21 Reviews

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4
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Karen

AMAZING!!!!!!!

Wish I could give these seven stars. They are incredible! after an overnight soak, I cooked a cup-plus in plain water in an instant pot. Initially 35 minutes with a 10-minute release. They were still a bit too firm for my taste, so I gave them another 5 minutes at high pressure, and a 15-minute release. Drained and cooled them a bit, then tossed and re-heated them with ghee, coriander, cumin, cayenne, salt and lime juice. HEAVEN!!!!! Next time I'll let them soak longer, and cook for 40 mi...More

Review on 29/11/2021

Mo

Spectacular hummus

We had black chickpea hummus for the first time in London this past September so I was thrilled to see Rancho Gordo carrying these beans. I prepared the beans as in the Rancho Gordo hummus recipe, adding a teaspoon of baking soda after the initial 15 minute boil. The baking soda makes the skins slip off easily. Just takes a little skimming, rinsing, and straining to wash away all the skins. The result is a darker, but not black, hummus, and without large black flecks of skin throughout it. ...More

Review on 30/11/2021

Sean

Delicious and unique

Made a simple pasta e ceci with these beans. Just a wonderful texture and flavor. More firm than standard garbanzos with a nice bite, but still yields. Flavor is nutty and also peppery!

Review on 13/01/2022

Ayelet

Black Jewels

These ceci neri are just incredibly good. Made them three times, different recipes each time and they were just so special and so good. I had them in salad, pasta and soup. The texture is unexpected. You get some resistance but in a great kinda way. vive la resistance! These little guys also have a lot going for them in terms of flavor. I find them to have a deeper more complex flavor than the "usual" chickpeas, love them as I may (and I do).
I hope Rancho Gordo will keep these around as I p...More

Review on 20/01/2022

Wanda Moak

Garam Masala and air fried make these a unique crunchy snack

I cooked these in the instant pot with half tablespoon of Garam Masala. I then air fried until crunchy. They were awesome! You can use them for salad croutons or eat them like popcorn. I will definitely purchase again.

Review on 05/02/2022

Black Garbanzo Bean

$ 7.25
Shipping Details

Free Shipping on each order $50 and over

FedEx Ground shipments, and one shipping location per order.

For orders less than $50: 
Our flat-fee shipping charges via FedEx Ground is $11 (regardless of weight)
One pound or One Thousand pounds, it's the same price. 

Our flat-fee shipping charge via US Postal Service is as follows:
$11 each 15 pounds
All shipments to Hawaii, Alaska, P.O. boxes, and APO/FPO/DPO addresses must go via USPS.

I just placed my order. When will I get my shipment?

It normally takes us 1 to 3 business days to process orders. If we are experiencing further shipping delays, we will add a note to the checkout page with further information.

We process and ship orders from Northern California Monday through Friday, via FedEx or US Postal Service. A shipment can take from 2 to 5 working days to be delivered after it leaves our warehouse, depending on where you live and what shipping service you selected. Please call us (707/259-1935) to arrange for faster shipping if you need your order to arrive sooner. 

Express Shipping?

Please call us (707/259-1935) to arrange for faster shipping if you need your order to arrive sooner. 

The Rancho Gordo Story

You Can Blame it All on the Dutch

I was shopping one August for tomatoes and, despite Napa being one of the world's most magnificent agricultural regions, all the tomatoes were from a hothouse in Holland! Worse, they were hard and pale pink instead of the ripe tomatoes I was craving. I started to grow my own tomatoes and this eventually led to beans.

My first harvested heirloom bean was Rio Zape. They were pretty and easy to grow but I had no idea what to expect when I cooked them. They were similar to the pintos I liked but there was so much more going on. Hints of chocolate and coffee mixed with an earthy texture made my head spin. I was blown away by Rio Zape and the other heirloom beans I was growing, but also really confused why they were such a big secret. I took the beans to the farmers market, organizing things on my kitchen table. Soon there was a warehouse, followed by more markets and mail order. It seems we had struck a nerve. People agreed that heirloom beans were worth saving, growing and cooking. Currently our warehouse, a retail shop, and offices are in Napa, California, and a stop here is part of many tours of the wine country. 

All of my agricultural pursuits have been based on being someone who likes to cook but gets frustrated by the lack of ingredients, especially those that are native to the Americas. One of the things that originally drew me to beans was the fact that they are indigenous to the Americas. It seems to me these indigenous ingredients should be familiar, if not common. American cuisine is re-inventing itself and I'd love to include ingredients, traditions and recipes from north and south of the border as part of the equation. I love the concept of The Americas. I feel as if it's just as important as the European heritage many of us share.

You can read more about the Rancho Gordo story here.

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