Chickpea Stew With Spinach

Do you imagine big pots and heavy digestion when you think of a legume stew? With this recipe for chickpea stew with spinach, you’ll see that this is not always the case.

A simple, easy-to-prepare dish that weighs nothing and that we can eat often. In addition, stews are traditional dishes that satisfy and nourish at the same time. Read on and find out how to prepare!

Legume and vegetable stews

More and more importance is being given to incorporating legumes into the daily diet. They are very nutritious foods and it is necessary to eat them more often, as a large part of the population does not eat them in the recommended amounts.

We can prepare them in different ways and presentations to have more variety. Soups, stews and stews are classic recipes and each region usually has its most typical dishes. However, these days the lack of time and the fear of saturated fats has eliminated them from many menus.

Chickpea stew with spinach is relatively easy and quick to prepare, especially if you use canned chickpeas. In addition, you can enjoy an afternoon at leisure to prepare more portions and store them in the fridge or freezer.

Chickpea stew with spinach

In this recipe, we combine legumes and vegetables in equal parts, and the result is a light and healthy dish. Are you excited to prepare it? Don’t forget the bread to dip into the broth.

Ingredients needed to prepare 4 servings

• 400 grams of cooked chickpeas.
• 200 grams of spinach.
• 3 or 4 boiled eggs.
• 1 small onion.
• 4 or 5 tablespoons of tomato sauce.
• 2 garlic cloves.
• Salt.
• 1 cube of vegetable broth (optional).
• Black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil.

Preparation

• First, peel and cut the onion into cubes and place in a skillet with oil. When it starts to brown, add the tomato sauce. Let reduce and set aside.
• Soon after, saute the garlic and spinach, well cleaned and cut, in another skillet. When it turns a darker green color, remove from heat.
• Prepare a casserole for cooking the chickpea stew. Pour in the onion and tomato sauce and add about 350 milliliters of water. Then add the chickpeas (well drained if canned). Season with salt and pepper to taste and, if desired, add a cube of vegetable stock.

• After 5 minutes, add the spinach and cook all together for another 5 minutes. If the stew is too dry, add a little more water.
• After this time, turn off the heat and add the hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half. Cover and let it rest for a while so that the flavor of the sauce penetrates the eggs. It’s ready to serve.

Second choice of chickpea stew with spinach recipe

Another way to cook this dish faster, but with the same taste. A complete alternative to a vegan diet, as long as no eggs or any other animal source ingredients are added.

Ingredients for 2 servings

• Half an onion.
• 2 garlic cloves.
• 2 cups of water.
• 3 handfuls of baby spinach .
• 200 grams of cooked or canned chickpeas.
• Extra virgin olive oil and salt.

Preparation

• First, peel and chop the garlic and onion very finely. Then fry them with a little oil in a pan or casserole dish. Leave for 3 to 4 minutes over low heat.
• At the same time, wash and drain the spinach bunches and place in the casserole as well. Saute for two minutes.
• Then pour in the cooked chickpeas and saute for a few minutes. Afterwards, cover all ingredients with water, add salt and pepper and cover. Cook over low heat, as this way all flavors will combine.
• If you already have prepared or frozen vegetable stock, you can change it to water. The function is the same and the dish will have much more flavor.

• After 20 minutes, it’s ready to taste.

To intensify the flavor, you can add other ingredients to the sauce. Try celery, peppers, zucchini or leeks and spices including sweet paprika and bay leaf.

Chickpea stew with spinach: a delicious way to eat pulses

This recipe is an excellent opportunity to incorporate legumes into your diet. This is interesting in terms of nutrition and health, as it has been observed that they help to reduce the incidence of some chronic diseases. But that’s not all, because limiting the intake of animal protein and replacing some of it with more plant proteins is good for the environment.

If you don’t have time to cook this dish right now, you can leave it prepared the day before and store some portions in the freezer. In fact, this is almost preferable because over time the flavors intensify and the broth thickens.

While it’s not a particularly difficult recipe, it can be even simpler if you use frozen spinach and canned chickpeas. In case you don’t have these two ingredients, you can vary and use kale, chard, lentils or beans.

In case you suffer problems with the consumption of legumes (poor digestion or gas), you can reduce the amount of chickpeas and add a little more vegetables. Seasoning the dish with cumin, bay leaf or fennel can help reduce flatulence.

Chickpeas provide slow-absorbing fiber, protein and carbohydrates. Spinach is a source of vitamins A, C and group B and minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus.

So it ‘s a complete dish. You just need a few slices of bread to go with it and a yogurt or fruit for dessert. Enjoy your food!