This garbanzo chickpea skillet simmers tender chickpeas with tomatoes, garlic, warm spices, and fresh spinach, then finishes with lemon. It is an easy meatless main or hearty side, made with pantry staples and ready in about 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 cup/150 g)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 9 g)
- 1 tablespoon (16 g) tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin (2 g)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (2 g)
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander (1 g), optional
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (about 0.3 g), or more to taste
- 1 can diced tomatoes, with their juices (14.5 oz/411 g)
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable broth or water
- 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (15 oz/425 g each; about 3 cups/510 g chickpeas after draining)
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt (about 4.5 g), plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (about 0.5 g)
- 5 oz (142 g) baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (about 8 g), for serving
Instructions
- Drain the chickpeas in a colander and rinse them under cool running water. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and measure the spices before you start cooking. This small bit of preparation helps the aromatics cook evenly and keeps the garlic from sitting in a hot pan while you search for the next ingredient.
- Set a large, deep skillet or sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil looks loose and shimmers, add the onion. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is soft and translucent. Lower the heat slightly if the onion begins to brown before it softens.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander if using, and red pepper flakes. Stir for about 1 minute, just until fragrant and the tomato paste darkens slightly. Keep the mixture moving; garlic can turn bitter if it browns, and dry spices can scorch if left against the hot pan.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and their juices along with the broth or water. Add the salt and black pepper, then stir to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. The tomato base should look saucy rather than watery.
- Stir in the rinsed chickpeas. Bring the pan back to a gentle simmer, then cook uncovered for 10 minutes so the chickpeas warm through and take on the tomato and spice flavors. Stir every few minutes. If the sauce becomes thicker than you like, add water 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time; if it seems thin, let it simmer for another minute or two.
- Add the spinach in handfuls, folding it into the hot chickpea mixture as it wilts. Cook for about 2 minutes, just until the leaves have softened but still look green. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste a chickpea with a little sauce and adjust the salt, pepper, or lemon before serving. Scatter the parsley over the top.
Tips
- Rinse canned chickpeas well. The liquid in the can can be salty or starchy, and draining and rinsing gives you better control over the seasoning and sauce. Let the chickpeas drain while you prepare the onion so excess water does not thin the skillet.
- Adjust the sauce to your preference. For a looser, spoonable stew, add a splash more broth. For a thicker result, simmer uncovered a little longer, stirring so the chickpeas do not stick. Avoid mashing all the chickpeas: a few gently crushed against the side of the pan will thicken the sauce while most remain whole.
- Season in stages. Canned tomatoes, broth, and chickpeas can all contain different amounts of salt. Start with the listed amount, then taste at the end. Lemon brightens the dish, but add it gradually if your tomatoes are already quite tangy.
- Choose your heat level. The small amount of red pepper flakes gives a mild warmth. Leave them out for a gentler dish or add more at the table for people who like extra heat. Smoked paprika contributes a rounded, smoky note; regular sweet paprika works as a substitute but makes the flavor less smoky.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the skillet in shallow bowls with crusty bread, warm pita, or flatbread for catching the tomato sauce. For a more filling plate, spoon it over rice, couscous, quinoa, or baked potatoes. If you are serving it as a side, it pairs well with roasted vegetables or a simple cucumber salad dressed with lemon and olive oil.
A spoonful of plain yogurt or thick Greek-style yogurt adds a cool, creamy contrast to the spices; use a plant-based yogurt if you prefer. Crumbled feta, sliced olives, or a few extra herbs make easy finishing touches, though the dish is satisfying without them. Put lemon wedges and chili flakes on the table so everyone can adjust their portion.
Variations
Use dried chickpeas: Cook them separately until completely tender, then measure about 3 cups (510 g) cooked chickpeas for this recipe. One cup (200 g) dried chickpeas generally yields roughly 3 cups cooked, though the exact amount varies. Do not add dried chickpeas directly to the skillet; the short tomato simmer is not long enough to cook them through. If you cook the beans in advance, drain them and use them in place of the canned chickpeas.
Add more vegetables: Stir in diced zucchini with the tomatoes, or add chopped kale in place of the spinach. Kale needs several extra minutes to soften, so simmer it in the sauce before adding the chickpeas. For a richer vegetable base, sauté diced red bell pepper with the onion. Keep additions moderate so there is enough sauce to coat everything.
Change the flavor profile: Replace the smoked paprika with sweet paprika for a milder, less smoky taste, or add a pinch of turmeric alongside the cumin. A small spoonful of harissa can replace the red pepper flakes, but it may also add salt, so taste before adding more. For a creamier finish, stir in ¼ cup (60 ml) coconut milk or a few tablespoons of yogurt off the heat; coconut milk makes the sauce richer and slightly sweet.
Make it more substantial: Add a cup of cooked diced potato or roasted cauliflower, or serve the chickpeas with a grain as suggested above. If using cooked additions, stir them in with the canned chickpeas so they warm in the sauce. The recipe is plant-based as written, and toppings such as feta or yogurt are optional rather than necessary.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking in a covered, shallow container. They keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. The sauce may thicken as it chills, so add a tablespoon or two of water when reheating. Warm a portion in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming hot throughout; for food safety, reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C). In a microwave, cover loosely, heat in short intervals, and stir between intervals so the middle warms evenly.
You can freeze the cooked chickpea mixture in an airtight freezer container for up to 2 months for best quality. Leave a little room at the top for expansion, and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Spinach will be softer after freezing and thawing, but the tomato sauce and chickpeas still work well over rice or toast. If you expect to freeze portions, you can also leave out the spinach and fold in fresh leaves while reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are garbanzo beans and chickpeas the same thing?
Yes. Garbanzo bean and chickpea are two common names for the same legume. The recipe works with ordinary canned chickpeas labeled either way; drain and rinse them before measuring or adding them to the skillet.
Can I use chickpeas cooked from dry instead of canned?
Yes. Use about 3 cups (510 g) cooked, tender chickpeas in place of the two cans. Cook dried chickpeas separately according to their package or your usual method, then drain them well. The time needed to cook dried beans is not included in this recipe’s 40-minute total.
What can I use instead of spinach?
Baby kale, chopped mature kale, or Swiss chard are good alternatives. Baby kale wilts much like spinach; tougher kale and chard stems need a few extra minutes in the sauce. You can also omit the greens, though the dish will be less leafy. Add a little extra broth if the pan gets too thick while the greens cook.
Can I make this chickpea recipe ahead?
Yes. Cook the skillet fully, cool it promptly, and refrigerate it in a covered container. The flavors meld as it rests, and it reheats well with a small splash of water. For the freshest color and texture, you can also make the tomato-and-chickpea base ahead and stir in the spinach and lemon just before serving.
How do I make the sauce less spicy?
Leave out the red pepper flakes and use sweet paprika instead of smoked paprika if you want a gentler flavor. The cumin and coriander are aromatic rather than hot, so they can stay. If the finished dish is still too punchy, serve it with rice, bread, or a spoonful of plain yogurt to soften each bite.
Why is my chickpea skillet watery?
Some canned tomatoes release more liquid than others, and chickpeas may carry extra rinse water if they are not drained. Simmer the mixture uncovered for a few additional minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reaches the consistency you like. If you want it thicker quickly, crush a few chickpeas into the sauce rather than adding flour or another thickener.
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