Print

Chickpeas and Spinach Recipe

chickpeas and spinach

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

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

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 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.