Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are a buff colored legume about 1/4" in diameter. Garbanzos are available fresh, dried or canned. The little legume is the principal ingredient in hummus. They are also a typical ingredient in Minestrone soup.
You can also find chickpeas which have been fried and are eaten as a snack food.
You can find canned and dried chickpeas at most grocery stores and fresh garbanzos, still in the pod, at Mexican markets. They are very common in Middle Eastern cooking. They are also available online at Amazon.com: Chickpeas
If you don't have chickpeas you can substitute: Equal amounts of: Great Northern Beans OR>Lima beans OR>White kidney beans (cannellini beans)