What can I make with chickpeas and spinach?
Chickpeas and Spinach is the cheapest route to a filling, high-protein dinner. Recipes using chickpeas and spinach are below, followed by the base-building and acid-finishing steps that stop legume dishes tasting flat.
12 recipes with chickpeas and spinach
Tunisian Lamb Soup
Add the lamb to a casserole and cook over high heat.
Tunisian4Classic Hummus
Silky chickpea dip with tahini and lemon.
Middle Eastern10m6
Creamy Hummus
Smooth chickpea dip with tahini, lemon, and garlic.
Middle Eastern20m6Couscous
Steamed semolina with buttery vegetables.
North African25m4Egg Muffins
Baked mini frittatas loaded with veggies and cheese.
American30m4
Vegan Buddha Bowl
Quinoa bowl with roasted veg, chickpeas, and tahini.
American35m2
Chana Masala
North Indian chickpeas stewed in tangy tomato-onion gravy.
Indian35m4Falafel Wrap
Crispy chickpea fritters in a pita with tahini sauce.
Middle Eastern35m3
Palak Paneer
Cubes of paneer in a creamy spinach curry.
Indian35m4Falafel
Herby crushed chickpea fritters, fried till crackly.
Middle Eastern35m6Buddha Bowl
Grain bowl loaded with roasted veg, protein, and tahini drizzle.
American35m4Bibimbap
Mixed rice bowl with sautéed veggies, beef, and a fried egg.
Korean40m4
Turning chickpeas and spinach into a real meal
- 1Rinse canned chickpeas and spinach to remove the tinny liquid, or simmer dried ones with a bay leaf until creamy.
- 2Build a base first: onion and garlic softened in oil, then spices bloomed in the fat for 30 seconds.
- 3Add the chickpeas and spinach plus just enough liquid to come halfway up, then mash a spoonful against the pot to thicken everything.
- 4Finish with acid - lime, vinegar, or a spoon of yogurt. Acid is what makes legumes taste seasoned rather than flat.
What goes well with chickpeas and spinach
Chickpeas and Spinach is at its best with cumin, onion, garlic, tomato, cilantro and lime. Any two or three of those, plus chickpeas and spinach, is already a dinner rather than an ingredient list.
Storing chickpeas and spinach
Dry chickpeas and spinach keeps for months in a sealed container away from light and heat. Once cooked, cool it quickly, refrigerate within two hours, and use within 3-4 days; cooked grains and legumes freeze extremely well in single-portion bags.
Substituting chickpeas and spinach
If you are out of chickpeas and spinach, look for something that behaves the same way in the pan rather than something that tastes the same. Match the moisture level, the cooking time, and the richness, and adjust the liquid slightly if your substitute releases more water. When in doubt, describe what you actually have in the chat and Mr. Chef will rewrite the recipe around it.
Chickpeas and Spinach recipes: common questions
- What can I make with chickpeas and spinach and not much else?
- Plenty. With chickpeas and spinach plus an onion, garlic, oil, and salt you already have the base of a skillet dinner, a soup, or a simple sauce. Add a starch - rice, pasta, bread, or potatoes - and it becomes a full meal. The recipes above are ordered so the ones needing the fewest extra items come first.
- What is the quickest chickpeas and spinach recipe?
- Look for the entries above marked 20 minutes or less. As a rule, anything cut small and cooked in a hot pan beats anything roasted whole, and one-pan recipes save more time in cleanup than in cooking.
- Can I substitute chickpeas and spinach?
- In most recipes yes, as long as the replacement plays a similar role - similar moisture, similar cooking time, similar richness. Swapping across roles (a watery vegetable for a starchy one, for instance) usually needs a change in liquid or cooking time too.
- How do I use up leftover chickpeas and spinach?
- Fried rice, a frittata, a grain bowl, a soup, or a quesadilla will absorb almost any leftover chickpeas and spinach without a recipe. If you want something specific, tell Mr. Chef exactly what is in the fridge and it will build a recipe around it.
- Are these chickpeas and spinach recipes vegetarian-friendly?
- Many are, and the vegetarian and vegan collections filter the whole library down to recipes with no meat or no animal products at all. In the chat you can also say "vegan" or "no dairy" and every suggestion will respect it.