Description
A vibrant and flavorful spicy chickpeas dish cooked with tomatoes, fresh spinach, and aromatic spices. This easy-to-make skillet meal is perfect for a nutritious lunch or dinner and delivers a healthy protein-packed vegetarian option with a hint of heat.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced (or 15 oz. canned tomatoes)
- 2 cans (15 oz. each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed (preferably organic and/or low sodium)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 cups fresh spinach, packed
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil and spices: Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet and add crushed red pepper. Allow it to infuse the oil for about a minute.
- Sauté onion and garlic: Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes until softened and fragrant, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Add tomatoes and chickpeas: Stir in the diced tomatoes (or canned tomatoes), drained chickpeas, cumin, oregano, and turmeric. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Mix well to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Simmer the mixture: Cover the skillet and let the mixture simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to develop and the tomatoes to soften.
- Add spinach: Stir in the fresh spinach, cover again, and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.
- Season and serve: Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat and serve the spicy chickpeas hot. This dish also keeps well for leftovers for a few days.
Notes
- Use canned chickpeas to save time and ensure convenience, but rinsing reduces sodium content.
- Adjust crushed red pepper to your preferred spice level or substitute with chili flakes.
- Fresh spinach can be substituted with frozen spinach, but reduce cooking time accordingly.
- Serve with rice, naan, or quinoa for a complete meal.
- To make it vegan, ensure no animal-based broths or additions are used.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
