Sprouts are a simple, tasty, high-fibre, low-calorie, nutritious green you can
grow yourself. As seeds sprout, their starch content goes down while their protein
and vitamin profile (mainly B and C) goes up. A glass jar, cheesecloth and a rubber
band is all you need to sow seeds and reap sprouts within days. Sprouts require neither
sunshine nor soil, just water and warmth.
This recipe works for both chickpeas and alfalfa seeds.
to make sprouts
- In separate wide-mouth jars, place 1 cup of alfalfa seeds and 1 cup of chickpeas. Cover with water and soak seeds overnight.
- The next day, secure the lids with cheesecloth and a jar ring or a rubber band. Pour off the water. Rinse and drain.
- In a warm dark place, such as a cupboard, tilt the jar mouth down so that water can drain out and the seeds can spread out along the length of the jar. Don't completely invert the jar, as sprouts need oxygen to come through the cheesecloth.
- Rinse the seeds twice per day, morning and night. (Chick-peas benefit from a third daily rinsing.)
- The sprouts will be ready 3 to 4 days after you first started them. By this time, most of the seeds should have sprouted.
- Place the jar in a sunny or naturally light spot so the sprouts turn green. (Note: chickpeas might not green, and some of the beans may remain stubbornly dormant, so when MOST of them have sprouted they are ready to harvest.)
- Yield: 1 cup of alfalfa seeds will yield 3 to 4 cups of sprouts. 1 cup of chickpeas will yield 1 1/2 cups. This includes the unsprouted seeds, which can be eaten along with the sprouts themselves.
sprouted chickpea hummus
1 c sprouted chickpeas
1 t garlic
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c chopped parsley
2 t tamari
1/2 c fruit juice (peach is nice)
1 t dijon mustard
2 t engevita yeast (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
Blend together all ingredients.
avocado dressing (oil free)
1 ripe avocado
2 T apple cider vinegar
1/3 – 1/2 c stock or water
pinch of cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
Blend together all the ingredients.
The dressing should be thick and creamy.
to serve
Shred enough carrot and beet to generously fill a pita.
Spread raw chickpea hummus into a pita pocket. Add avocado dressing
(or plain sliced avocado). Stuff the pita with alfalfa sprouts, shredded beet
and carrot, and a handful of mixed greens. Enjoy!
Risa Salsberg has been cooking vegetarian for over 25 years and is a graduate of Dubrille Culinary. She has studied macrobiotics and whole foods in California and trained at Sanko-in, a Buddhist nunnery specializing in shojin ryori (traditional Buddhist vegetarian cookery). Risa is currently studying fine arts in Vancouver. Craig Walker first began cooking vegetarian in tree planting camps. Craig has studied macrobiotics at the Vega Study Center and has cooked professionally in Japan.