Chickpea

I leave the roots on the leeks until after cooking, so they don't fall apart. Just wash and trim beforehand.

Butternut squash and a variety of beans give this vegetarian dish its hearty texture.

Only native Californians like two wine-making friends of mine in Salinas can regularly throw together a vegetable chili such as this utilizing their almost year-round abundance of fresh vegetables and herbs. For those of us with seasonal gardens, various substitutions often have to be made (canned tomatoes, dried herbs, and the like), but such is the availability almost everywhere today of certain fresh produce even in the coldest months that no imaginative cook should have much trouble concocting a very tasty vegetable and bean chili according to this basic recipe. One advantage, by the way, of using a 28-ounce can of tomatoes with their juices instead of the fresh is that most likely you won't have to add any water to keep the chili slightly soupy.

Sliced or diced fresh avocado makes a colorful garnish for this hearty southwestern soup. If you want to cut up the avocado ahead of time but don't want it to discolor, simply place the avocado pieces in a colander and rinse them with cold water. They will stay bright green for about two hours.

This recipe is used to prepare Roasted Peppers Stuffed with Chick-Pea and Eggplant Purée and Mushrooms. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Chickpea fritters laced with rosemary are common in parts of France and Italy. For a terrific side dish that serves eight, top these latkes with a quick sauce made by stirring two tablespoons dried mint into one cup plain yogurt, and offer with fish. Or drizzle the latkes with pomegranate molasses (found at Middle Eastern markets and some supermarkets), and serve with meat or poultry.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Find the dried mushrooms in the produce section of the supermarket. Breadsticks and a radicchio salad with crumbled goat cheese and lemon vinaigrette round out the meal. End with poached apricots and honey cookies.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Round out this satisfying soup with a composed platter of marinated beets, red onions, sliced hard-boiled eggs, pickled vegetables and a wedge of imported Parmesan. Try a purchased berry tart for a pretty dessert.

Marisol likes to serve the Candied Butternut Squash atop the couscous.

Tender, juicy chicken skewers are possible in the oven—especially when roasted alongside spiced chickpeas and finished with fresh tomatoes and salty feta.

Herby chickpea falafel gets the veggie burger treatment with harissa mayo and pickled onion.

In this one-pan dinner, flaky cod is finished in a chorizo-spiked sauce, alongside wilty greens and chickpeas—some tender, some crispy.

Braising canned chickpeas in chicken stock and olive oil makes them unbelievably tender and buttery. This is worth the effort of peeling 40 cloves of garlic.

The citrus juice and sherry vinegar in the dressing work hard to tenderize the hearty kale and crunchy broccoli slaw as they sit in the fridge.

Forget regular baked potatoes—these tender sweets loaded with chaat-inspired toppings make for a bright and flavorful vegetarian main (or colorful side dish).