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    Home » Recipes » Quick and Easy Recipes

    Chickpeas and Spinach

    Published: May 12, 2020 · Modified: Jul 16, 2024 by Jenny Meier

    Jump to Recipe

    Chickpeas and spinach is a healthy, easy vegetarian dinner. It's made with just a few ingredients in less than 30 minutes.

    To make this simple dinner, canned chickpeas and baby spinach are simmered in a flavorful tomato-based sauce flavored with garlic, cumin and lemon. Served over brown rice, it's a delicious vegetarian meal.

    cooked chickpeas in a bowl with baby spinach this recipe

    This recipe is inspired by Martha Rose Shulman's delicious Chickpeas with Baby Spinach. I make a simplified version that doesn't require chopping an onion or toasting cumin seeds.

    If you love chickpeas as much as I do, you'll also want to try Instant Pot basmati rice with chickpeas, and chickpea stew with chicken and potatoes.

    Another great recipe is slow-cooker vegetarian stew (with garbanzo beans of course!) and Instant Pot farro soup with lemon-ginger broth (and garbanzos).

    (Yes, chickpeas and garbanzos are the same thing!)

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • What to Serve with Chickpeas and Spinach
    • Variations
    • FAQ
    • How to Store Tomato Paste
    • More One-Pot Recipes to Love
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients

    ingredients for this recipe

    Chickpeas: I always keep canned chickpeas in my pantry, for salad and soups and recipes like this one. You can, however, cook dried chickpeas before you start this recipe. Just follow my recipe that teaches you how to cook dried garbanzo beans.

    Tomato paste: The tomato paste is a key ingredient and can't be skipped or substituted with another tomato product. Tomato paste has a concentrated tomato flavor and when simmered with water it creates a thick, surprisingly flavorful sauce that coats the soft and creamy chickpeas.

    Spinach: A bag of baby spinach is your best friend! Pre-washed and easy to toss into recipes, a few handfuls of baby spinach adds instant color. If you want smaller pieces of spinach in the finished dish, then use a knife to roughly chop the baby spinach leaves before adding them.

    Cumin: This spice adds needed to flavor to a simple recipe, but if you really don't like cumin you can substitute other spices. Try curry powder, coriander or smoked paprika instead.

    Garlic: The more the better!

    Lemon: A squeeze of fresh lemon is more of a finishing touch than a main ingredient. It brightens up the flavor, but is optional.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    olive oil, garlic, tomato paste and cumin in a saute pan

    Step 1: Saute olive oil, garlic, tomato paste, cumin and salt for 2 minutes.

    tomato paste whisked into water

    Step 2: Whisk in water.

    garbanzo beans in tomato sauce in a skillet

    Step 3: Add canned chickpeas.

    chickpeas in tomato sauce

    Step 4: Simmer until a sauce thickens & coats the chickpeas, about 15 minutes.

    garbanzo beans in a skillet with baby spinach

    Step 5: Add baby spinach. Simmer a few minutes more to wilt the spinach.

    garbanzo beans in a bowl with cooked baby spinach and two slices of lemon

    Step 6: Season with sea salt and lemon.

    What to Serve with Chickpeas and Spinach

    This dish is light but high in protein and can easily be turned into a full meal. Serve the chickpeas and spinach with:

    • Brown or white rice
    • Whole grains, like Instant Pot barley or Instant Pot farro
    • Instant Pot Quinoa
    • Instantn Po Orzo (pasta)
    • Polenta, either creamy oven-baked polenta or a sliced tube of polenta
    • Pita bread, or slices of toasted garlic bread (mash the garbanzos on top)
    • Yogurt flatbread
    a bowl of chickpeas and baby spinach cooked with a tomato-based sauce over brown rice

    Variations

    • Use Instant Pot white beans instead of chickpeas
    • Use frozen spinach or kale (add at the same time as the canned chickpeas, instead of at the end)
    • Add chopped onion or ginger
    • Add fresh herbs, like cilantro, parsley or mint
    • Add coconut milk in place of some of the water
    • Add a teaspoon or two of curry powder

    FAQ

    Are chickpeas healthy?

    Chickpeas are a good source of vegetarian protein. They are high in fiber, folate, iron.

    Are chickpeas and garbanzo beans the same?

    Yes! They are the same thing. You can call them either chickpeas or garbanzo beans.

    Are chickpeas gluten-free? Are they a grain?

    Yes, chickpeas are gluten-free. They are not a grain. Chickpeas are legumes (a member of the pea family).

    Are chickpeas lentils?

    No, chickpeas are not lentils. They are two different types of legumes. I also have recipes that will teach you how to cook red lentils and how to cook black lentils.

    How to Store Tomato Paste

    For a long time, tomato paste and I were frenemies. I love its intense tomato flavor, but the leftover paste in the can, after I scooped out the tablespoon I needed....that drove me crazy.

    These days, I almost always buy a tube of tomato paste instead of a can. Tubes of tomato paste are a convenient short-cut for any busy parent trying to get dinner on the table.

    A tube of refrigerated tomato paste should stay fresh for months, so you can use a tablespoon here or there as needed.

    If you do end up with an open can of tomato paste, you can scoop tablespoons of the paste onto wax paper and freeze until solid. Put the frozen tablespoons of tomato paste in a freezer bag, and grab one or two as needed. Frozen tomato paste can go directly into a hot skillet with oil.

    More One-Pot Recipes to Love

    • Cooked barley in a bowl with wilted spinach and a runny egg.
      Barley with Eggs & Spinach
    • Cooked shrimp, feta and a slice of garlic bread with basil on top
      Shrimp and Feta Garlic Bread
    • bowl of pasta with cherry tomatoes and kale
      One-Pot Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Kale
    • creamy chicken paprika in a bowl over egg noodles
      Creamy Chicken Paprika (Easy, One-Skillet)

    Print

    📖 Recipe

    Chickpeas and Spinach Recipe

    chickpeas and spinach
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    5 from 2 reviews

    A healthy vegetarian meal and easy dinner. Canned chickpeas and baby spinach are simmered in a flavorful tomato-based sauce flavored with garlic, cumin and lemon. Serve over brown or white rice, a grain like farro, or with warm pita bread.

    This recipe is adapted from Martha Rose Shulman's Chickpeas with Baby Spinach in the New York Times. 

    This recipe was updated in March 2023

    • Author: Jenny Meier | Kitchen Skip blog
    • Prep Time: 5
    • Cook Time: 25
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings
    • Category: Vegetarian
    • Method: Saute
    • Cuisine: American
    • Diet: Vegetarian

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or thinly sliced
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
    • 2 cups water
    • Two 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained
    • Several big handfuls of baby spinach
    • Squeeze of lemon

    Instructions

    1. Warm the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin and salt and cook for no more than 2 minutes, stirring almost constantly. You want the garlic and tomato paste to be lightly cooked without browning or sticking to the pan. 
    2. Add water, and stir or whisk to blend the water and tomato paste until smooth.
    3. Add the chickpeas. Bring to a simmer.
    4. Cover and simmer gently for about 15 minutes over medium or medium low. Lift the lid and stir a few times while it cooks.
    5. Remove the lid. Continue to simmer if necessary, so the sauce thickens and no longer looks watery. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the chickpeas, with a little bit of sauce remaining loose in the skillet.
    6.  Add several handfuls of spinach - how much you want to add is completely up to you. Cook another 3 minutes or so,  stirring to wilt the spinach as much as you like.
    7. Finish with a generous squeeze of lemon and sea salt as needed. 

    Please rate and review this recipe!

    Your reviews help other readers. They also help me provide the best recipes possible. Thanks!

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    Comments

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      Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    1. free says

      October 21, 2022 at 7:07 pm

      Nine out of ten would make it again.

      Reply
    2. Jen says

      January 05, 2022 at 5:39 pm

      Quick, healthy and easy to make. The dish has a surprising amount of flavor.

      Reply
    Kitchen Skip foodblogger and recipe developer Jenny Meier

    Hi, I'm Jenny!

    I'm a food blogger with a culinary degree and a busy Mama of two who now works full-time in education. I create easy dinner recipes for busy parents like you!

    More About Me

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    Brown bowl filled with chickpeas and spinach simmered in thick tomato sauce
    Brown bowl filled with chickpeas and spinach simmered in thick tomato sauce
    Brown bowl filled with chickpeas and spinach simmered in thick tomato sauce
    Brown bowl filled with chickpeas and spinach simmered in thick tomato sauce