Greek chickpeas on toast

Greek chickpeas on toast

chickpeas on toast close up

Today’s recipe is a quick and easy affair. It also happens to be very nutritious. Half a portion contains 15 g of protein, which is approximately 1/3 of your daily recommended allowance. It makes a great lunch and breakfast alike.

I like its taste and convenience as I am a little snowed under lately. I’m putting finishing touches to a big project, so aside from the meals I make for the blog, I try to keep it simple.

This one went down so well with Duncan and myself that we have pronounced it blog-worthy. I’ve taken the liberty to call it ‘Greek’ chickpeas on toast as I used cinnamon in the tomato sauce, which is something Greeks do a lot and despite my initial scepticism it works really well.

I’ve embellished this delicious dish with plump Greek (of course) olives. They provide a salty accent against a delicately sweet tomato sauce.

Finally, my recommendation is to serve this on good quality bread. We are spoilt for choice here as all the local bakeries make an array of beautiful breads. We went for slices of toasted sourdough as it provides a pleasant crunchiness against melt-in-the-mouth beans.

chickpeas-in-a-rich-tomato-sauce

chickpeas on toast lunch

serves
2-3
PREP
5 min
COOKING
30 min
serves
2-3
PREPARATION
5 min
COOKING
30 min
INGREDIENTS
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 small shallots, finely diced
  • 2 large garlic cloves, finely diced
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp sweet paprika
  • ½ tsp cinnamon (or cumin)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½-1 tsp sugar, to taste
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 1 x 400 g tin of peeled plum tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes (skinned)
  • 2 cups of cooked chickpeas
  • 4-6 slices of crusty bread (gluten-free if required), toasted
  • fresh parsley and / or dill, to garnish (optional)
  • a few pitted Kalamata olives, to garnish (optional)
METHOD
  1. Heat up olive oil on a medium pan.
  2. Add shallots and fry gently, stirring frequently, until almost translucent. Add garlic and fry until shallots are completely translucent and garlic is softened.
  3. Add all the spices to the pan. Mix them into the onion and garlic mixture and fry off gently for 1-2 minutes stirring the whole time.
  4. Squash tinned tomatoes or chop them roughly before adding to the pan with a couple of tablespoons of water. Simmer on low-medium heat until the sauce has thickened.
  5. Mix in cooked chickpeas and let them warm through in the sauce. Season with salt, sugar and black pepper.
  6. Serve on toasted bread with a sprinkle of fresh herbs and a few black olives.
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NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
480
24%
sugars
16 g
18%
fats
15 g
22%
saturates
2 g
10%
proteins
19 g
38%
carbs
69 g
27%
*per serving
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4.9
18 reviews, 28 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Karen:
This is delicious, and so easy, too. I did cumin instead of cinnamon this time. Thanks so much for this terrific recipe!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, Karen. I am so happy to hear that you liked this recipe so much and thanks for taking the time to review, I really appreciate it. x Ania
Julia:
I am quite confused as to how cinnamon and cumin seem to be the same thing in your recipe… however, this is a nice recipe, I added cayenne for health and spinach for colour. Thank you, such a fancy alternative to baked beans
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Julia,
    I am not sure why you are confused. Both cinnamon and cumin work in this recipe on its own...Plus they are frequently used together too, in many Middle Eastern cooking traditions for example. Glad to hear that the end result was nice to eat. Ania
Méabh:
Another amazing and simple recipe Ania.
I tweaked it a little by stirring through some roasted red peppers and broad beans near the end, and added half a teaspoon of kalamata tapenade in place of sliced olives.
The cinammon really made it, definitely adding a bit to all my tomatoey dishes now!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Delighted to hear that you enjoyed it and made it your own, Méabh! Yes, cinnamon is a surprisingly beautiful addition to savoury, tomato-based sauces - something I magpied after living in Greece and it now reminds me of all the lovely food I ate there. x Ania
Danielle:
Absolutely delicious!! I have made it twice now. I do double the dry spices, and it is a regular breakfast now so I made a spice mix (with both cinnamon and cumin) so I can just grab a few tablespoons of my mix for fast prep in the morning. Takes only a few minutes if the onion is already prechopped too.
I don't like olives so I top with capers and fresh parsley instead :)
Been trying to find a fast, easy, protein rich vegan breakfast that I like enough to eat daily, and this is it! :D
    Ania
    Ania:
    I am so happy to hear that you enjoy this as breakfast, Danielle. I started weight training a few months ago and like you, I am always on the lookout for protein rich wholefood dishes and snacks - I am planning to post some of these in the New Year so keep your eyes peeled if that's something that you could use. Also, this dish is also a nice variation (I make chickpeas in adavance in large quantity). x Ania
Macm:
It’s great!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks, lovely to hear :)
Coby:
This was easy and delicious! I’m trying to add more savory breakfasts into my rotation, and this fit the bill! Of course, it would also make a delicious lunch or light dinner. Definitely don’t skip the kalamata olives- their saltiness really brings the whole dish together. Great recipe!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, Coby! So pleased that you enjoyed it and yes, that combination of sweet tomatoes and salty tangy olives is what I enjoy about it too. Thank you so much for taking the time to review, I really appreciate it. x Ania
Pauline:
Wow we had this for breakfast this morning and it is definitely going on regular rotation now. This kind of dish is right up our alley, love love love, especially with kalamata olives on top. Thank you
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, Pauline. Delighted to hear that you enjoyed it enough to include it in your meal rotation. x Ania
T-Rae:
Love love love this recipe! Super easy way to spice up a tin of chickpeas. The seasonings are super tasty, and do not skip the kalamata olives for topping, they bring the whole Greek dish together.
I actually love eating this over a bowl of plain oatmeal for extra fiber.
Thanks, Lazy Cat for saving my breakfasts!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you so much for your kind feedback! I am so happy that you enjoy this was of preparing chickpeas and what a great idea of serving it on oatmeal. I must confess that I have never had a savoury oatmeal in my life, I need to correct that asap. x Ania
it was surprisingly easy and so flavourful, thank you for sharing this recipe, will definitely make this again.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, I'm really pleased to hear that you enjoyed it! Ania
Maddie:
This was absolutely delicious, and made a really fresh and quick lunch. Perfect on sourdough from our bakers, this will definitely become a staple in our repertoire!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Great to hear that you enjoyed it, Maddie! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. Ania
Joy:
Hi!
Just made this for breakfast and it is delicious! Just wondering if it can be froze?
Thank you
    Ania
    Ania:
    Great to hear, Joy! The stew on its own, definitely you can. Hope that helps! Ania
Hawna:
Omg...so delicious! I made a few modifications; I used honey instead of sugar and i only used smoked paprika since trader joes didnt have sweet paprika. I also added curry and cayenne pepper. This is so freaking delicious. Thanks for sharing!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Great to hear and thank you for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe - it helps me a lot! Ania
Joe:
This looks fab! Any idea how to make in an instant pot?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Joe,
    No, I'm sorry, but I don't own one unfortunately! Ania
Stacey:
Yes, new breakfast ideas for a whole new week! I can make the sauce beforehand and save it for busy mornings! Thank you for the recipe!
    Ania
    Ania:
    I'm glad to hear that, Stacey! Hope you'll enjoy it! Ania
Anna:
So delicious!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks, Anna! I'm delighted to hear that! Ania
Jimmy:
Can you refrigerate the mixture for a few days?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Jimmy, sure you can! Ania
Jessica:
Made this tonight and it was absolutely incredible. The cinnamon is what makes it, without a doubt. So simple and extremely satisfying. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe!
    Ania
    Ania:
    I'm delighted to hear that, Jessica! :) Ania
Cheryl:
I'm planning to make this tomorrow, I'm confused by the cinnamon or cumin they are so different not sure which to use?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Cheryl, both spices work well here so it's really up to you and which one you like. I know that some people don't like cinnamon in savoury dishes so I provided cumin as an alternative. They are both great in this context! Ania
Ralph:
We had this excellent dish today for lunch. Extremely great blend of favors. Thanks,
Ralph
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thanks, Ralph. Lovely to hear that you enjoyed it! Ania
Christi T:
This is really yummy, tho' a bit hard for the kids to eat. Next time, I won't toast their bread. I'm wondering if it would be good with fennel bulb added in?
Thanks for the good recipe!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Christi,
    I would say that fennel would be a great addition as would a pinch of saffron too! Glad to hear that you enjoyed it!
    Ania
Sofia:
I LOVE this sooooooo much! I've had it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and as a snack!! It's so delicious and easy to make!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much, Sofia! That so nice to hear :) x
Karen xx:
Gluten free sour bread ?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Karen, if you can find it where you live, sure! If not, any gluten-free bread of your choosing. Ania
anat:
looks amazing. can't wait to try it. thank you!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks, Anat! Hope you'll like it :)
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