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Lazy Cat Kitchen

A food blog with plant-based recipes from all over the world

Spanish chickpea and spinach stew

April 8, 2016 by Ania - 141

chickpeas, easy, gluten-free, healthygo to recipe

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Spanish chickpea and spinach stew in a pan

The spring might have finally graced us with its presence and next week’s weather is looking positively beachy, but the evenings are still quite cold so I thought that a warm, comforting stew is still quite a fitting recipe.

Today’s inspiration came from Spain. I made you my own version of a Spanish classic: garbanzos con espinacas (chickpeas and spinach stew). There are lots of different versions of this dish, some are drier than others, but I went for chickpeas swimming in lots of rich tomato sauce generously spiced with my beloved cumin, smoked paprika and a hint (I really had to restrain myself ๐Ÿ™‚ ) of cayenne pepper.

Apart from being delicious (especially a day after it has been made), this dish really packs a nutritional punch. Both chickpeas and spinach are good sources of calcium and iron, plus chickpeas are also rich in protein, which most meat eaters are so concerned about you not getting enough of. Tomatoes are rich in a powerful antioxidant, lycopene, as well as a whole army of other nutritional do-gooders, such as vitamin C, potassium, folate and vitamin K.

To top it all off, if you pair the stew up with brown rice, you’ll get plenty of heart-healthy minerals, antioxidants, lignans, and dietary fiber too. The last one should keep you full for longer and curb your desire to snack.

PS: If you make this Spanish chickpea and spinach stew, donโ€™t forget to tag me on Instagram as @lazycatkitchen and use the #lazycatkitchen hashtag. I love seeing your takes on my recipes!

Spanish chickpea and spinach stew close up

Spanish chickpea and spinach stew lunch

Spanish chickpea and spinach stew top down

Spanish chickpea and spinach stew

Spanish chickpea and spinach stew portion

4.94 from 51 votes
Print
  • serves: 4
  • prep: 10 min
  • cooking: 30 min

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp / 30 ml oil (I used olive oil)
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 3 tsp cumin (ground)
  • 1ยฝ tsp smoked paprika (ground)
  • ยผ-ยฝ tsp cayenne pepper or hot chilli powder
  • ยฝ tsp salt
  • 2-3 tsp brown sugar
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 2 x 400 g tins of peeled plum tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp of tomato paste
  • 1ยฝ cups of cooked chickpeas
  • 200 g of spinach
  • a handful of almond flakes, toasted
  • fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
  • cooked rice (I used brown), to serve with

Method

  1. Heat up the oil in a large frying pan (ideally with a lid). Add chopped onion and fry on a low heat until almost translucent, stirring from time to time.
  2. Add chopped garlic. Keep on stirring frequently until the onion is translucent and garlic softens completely and releases its beautiful aroma.
  3. Add all the ground spices to the fried onion and garlic mixture and stir them around well. Fry them off gently for a minute or two stirring the whole time as they burn easily.
  4. Add tomato paste to the pan and stir it into the onion and garlic mixture.
  5. Squash plum tomatoes with a potato masher in a separate bowl before adding them to the pan. Add tomatoes to the pan, salt and half of the sugar. Let the sauce thicken by simmering it on a low heat with no lid on. Give the sauce a good stir from time to time.
  6. Once the sauce thickens, taste it and season with some black pepper and more sugar if needed. I used 3 tsp of sugar in this recipe as my tomatoes were quite tangy, but you may not need as much.
  7. Stir in cooked chickpeas and let them warm through. Now add in the spinach and place the lid on to let spinach wilt and cook in the steam. If you are not in a rush, you can gently pan-fry the spinach in a little olive oil and garlic separately and then add it to the dish, but that’s optional.
  8. Serve over rice, sprinkled with toasted almonds and fresh parsley.
If you want more info on some of the ingredients that we use in our recipes, check out our glossary.
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This recipe has been written by Ania. She is the cook, stylist and photographer behind Lazy Cat Kitchen. You can read about her journey into food blogging here. You can also check her out on Pinterest and Instagram.

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    Comments

    Leave a comment

  1. Daniela says

    June 25, 2018 at 12:04 am

    I just made this for the first time and it worked out so well! The flavors are excellent, and I love how quickly this comes together. I served it with a side of naan, just because I love stews paired with bread. Thanks a lot for sharing this!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 25, 2018 at 11:31 am

      I’m delighted to hear that, Daniela! And thank you for taking the time to let me know that you’ve enjoyed this dish, I appreciate it! Ania

      Reply
  2. Bev says

    September 8, 2018 at 9:20 am

    Hi – this sounds really delicious! Would it be ok to freeze a couple of portions do you think?

    Reply
    • Ania says

      September 8, 2018 at 12:39 pm

      Hi Bev,

      Yes, absolutely! I tend to make a double portion and freeze leftovers all the time. Hope that helps! Ania

      Reply
  3. Mirela says

    September 13, 2018 at 4:40 pm

    Love this meal! I add extra fresh ginger, 2 bay leaves and a little of grounded cloves.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      September 13, 2018 at 7:55 pm

      Thanks, Mirela! I’m very pleased to hear that! Ania

      Reply
  4. Symone says

    January 14, 2019 at 7:10 pm

    Made this for the first time this evening. I really enjoyed it. It was simple and tasty. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      January 15, 2019 at 4:53 pm

      I’m delighted to hear that, Symone! Thanks for taking the time to review and rate my recipe! Ania

      Reply
  5. Chantell says

    February 20, 2019 at 8:25 pm

    This recipe looks absolutely lovely! canโ€™t wait to try it out, thank you for providing! Just a question, Iโ€™m not a big fan of tomatoes that havenโ€™t been made into a paste but I see the recipe has mashed tomatoes, would it be alright to leave them out or would this affect the taste or the entire dish?

    Reply
    • Ania says

      February 20, 2019 at 8:34 pm

      Hi,

      Yes, it will affect both taste and texture, I am afraid as it’s the tomatoes that are the base for the sauce. Ania

      Reply
  6. Sarah says

    May 19, 2019 at 8:54 pm

    Quick to make, tastes amazing… even my four year old loved this. Whatโ€™s not to like?!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      May 19, 2019 at 11:52 pm

      Yay! I’m delighted to hear that, especially that I hear that four year olds are not the easiest to please ๐Ÿ˜‰ x Ania

      Reply
  7. Claire Holloway says

    June 8, 2019 at 8:22 pm

    I tried this last night for the first time and it is delicious!!! I am not vegan but came across the recipe via a Pinterest search and so pleased I did find it and this site! Fabulous and really filling! I will be back for more ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 10, 2019 at 6:46 pm

      I am delighted to hear that, Claire! And thanks for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe – much appreciated! x Ania

      Reply
  8. Natalia says

    October 9, 2019 at 2:38 am

    Such a good recipe! And so quick to put together. Thank you so much for sharing :).

    Reply
    • Ania says

      October 9, 2019 at 6:44 pm

      Thanks so much, Natalia! I am really pleased to hear that you enjoyed it! x Ania

      Reply
    • Ania says

      October 9, 2019 at 6:47 pm

      Thanks Natalia! I am so glad to hear that! Ania

      Reply
  9. Marleen says

    October 31, 2019 at 9:51 pm

    My favorite stew! Thanks so much for sharing Ania! It’s easy, quick and just delicious. Real comfort food. Everyone loves it!
    Probably the dish I made most often in the past year ๐Ÿ™‚
    And that it’s vegan is a big + too!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      November 1, 2019 at 12:46 pm

      I am so pleased to hear that, thank you! x Ania

      Reply
  10. Lucie says

    December 18, 2019 at 6:18 pm

    Hello from the Czech Republic!
    I just finished this dish and it was fabulous. An ideal comfort meal for cold winter.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      December 18, 2019 at 7:00 pm

      Hi Lucie, that’s lovely to hear!! Thank you for letting me know that you enjoyed it so much!! xx Ania

      Reply
  11. Nigel says

    January 4, 2020 at 11:21 am

    I’m puzzled by the ratio of liquid / tomatoes to chickpeas here, and also by the ‘serves 4’ — ie, it’s a small quantity of chickpeas (325g) to a lot of tomato. However, I was quadrupling to make a large quantity. My question to Ania is, are you using drained tins of whole tomatoes? or are you also using the juice from the tin? I just found that (even though I was quadrupling everything) that this produced far too much sauce.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      January 4, 2020 at 2:31 pm

      Hi Nigel,

      Yes, I use peeled plum tomatoes including juices. The sauce reduces a lot in the process of cooking and you can always use more chickpeas (or other beans) if you like. It’s not a cake so you can safely make small alterations to suit your taste. Hope that helps! Ania

      Reply
  12. Ian says

    February 19, 2020 at 7:24 pm

    This was my first ever vegetarian meal attempt and was rather satisfying. Thank you for sharing. I did however go a bit overboard with the Cheyenne pepper, but now I know for next time.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      February 20, 2020 at 3:21 pm

      Thanks Ian, I am delighted to hear that it was a success and glad that you are giving veggie options a go. Yes, cayenne is fierce! Ania

      Reply
  13. Rae says

    April 1, 2020 at 11:19 am

    Can you use frozen spinach

    Reply
    • Ania says

      April 1, 2020 at 1:52 pm

      Hi Rae,

      I suspect so (assume you mean whole leaves, not minced), but it may not be as nice as fresh. I’m guessing as I have not tried it myself. Ania

      Reply
  14. Ruth says

    April 13, 2020 at 8:21 pm

    Would this recipe work in the slow cooker on low for 8 hours?

    Reply
    • Ania says

      April 13, 2020 at 8:46 pm

      Hi Ruth,

      I don’t own a slow cooker so I am not sure, to be completely honest. Chickpeas usually require 1.25 hrs of cooking only, not sure how they would fare after 8 hrs – they may be delicious though. x Ania

      Reply
  15. Natalie says

    May 25, 2020 at 2:31 pm

    Awesome recipe โ€“ย simple, quick and very tasty!
    I used frozen spinach and served with a dollop of natural yoghurt.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      May 25, 2020 at 2:38 pm

      Great to hear, Natalie! I’m very happy you enjoyed it! x Ania

      Reply
  16. Anna Camboni says

    June 2, 2020 at 8:47 pm

    Loved it!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 2, 2020 at 9:55 pm

      Thank you, Anna! I’m delighted to hear that! Ania

      Reply
  17. Lilly says

    June 12, 2020 at 3:30 pm

    Hi! Would it be ok to sub the plum tomatoes for a can of diced tomatoes ? Thank you !

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 12, 2020 at 4:14 pm

      Hi Lilly,

      Sure, they are typically a little less flavoursome as plum tomatoes are higher quality/sweeter tomatoes but they will still work well. Hope that helps! Ania

      Reply
  18. erin says

    August 8, 2020 at 5:52 am

    this was lovely! i’m relatively new to cooking and vegan so i’ve been looking to find some easy but tasty recipes. i subbed the spinach for kale, used smoked olive oil (best purchase ever, btw!) and added a touch of vegan butter to the rice. it’s amazing!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      August 8, 2020 at 8:54 pm

      Sounds great, Erin. I’m really happy to hear that you enjoyed it. And I love the sound of that smoked olive oil – will look out for it! x Ania

      Reply
  19. Kerry says

    August 10, 2020 at 10:00 am

    Hi Ania, whenever this recipe is cooked, can it stay in the fridge and if so for how many days?

    Reply
    • Ania says

      August 10, 2020 at 3:58 pm

      Yes, it sure can. It should keep for 4-5 days in an airtight container. It’s also perfect for freezing. Hope this helps! Ania

      Reply
  20. Danielle says

    January 3, 2021 at 6:46 pm

    This is the first meal I ever made for my vegan boyfriend 4 years ago, being completely new to vegan cooking at the time. Itโ€™s become a staple part of our diet and we return to it regularly as itโ€™s always comforting and just really, really tasty. Weโ€™re engaged now and it sounds silly but itโ€™s become an oddly special recipe to me!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      January 3, 2021 at 7:38 pm

      Aw, Danielle!!! That is so lovely to hear and massive congratulations to you both! Finding someone you want to spend your life with who also shares your ethics is extra special. I don’t want to take too much credit, but pretty sure that chickpea stew has had something to do with your relationship blossoming the way it did ๐Ÿ˜‰ . xxx Ania

      Reply
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Ania Marcinowska
Hi, I'm Ania. I love good food but I love animals more! Adopting a plant-based diet has been the best decision I've made and that's how this blog was born. It's a space where I want to show you that creating delicious plant-based food isn't actually hard at all.
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