Chickpea and spinach stew (one pan, 35 minutes)

By Nikola · Precision Nutrition L1 · Sources checked 2 November 2026

This is the stew I make when nothing is planned for dinner: two cans of chickpeas, a can of tomatoes, a bag of spinach and some olive oil. Thirty-five minutes, one pan, and it tastes like it took much longer. It sits somewhere between the Spanish espinacas con garbanzos and a plain tomato and chickpea stew, without the bread-thickened sauce.

Difficulty: Easy · Diet: Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free

Chickpea and spinach stew

Chickpea and spinach stew with tomatoes, smoked paprika and olive oil. One pan, 35 minutes, vegan, 332 kcal and 13 g protein per serving.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Stews

Servings 4 servings

Calories 332 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 480 g cooked chickpeas drained and rinsed (two 400 g cans, or about 200 g dried, soaked and cooked)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 45 ml, about 40 g
• 1 medium onion about 150 g, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic 9 g, sliced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1 can 400 g chopped tomatoes
• 200 g fresh spinach baby or large leaves, roughly chopped
• 150 ml water or vegetable stock about 2/3 cup
• 3/4 tsp fine salt 4 g, or to taste
• To serve: lemon wedges bread or cooked bulgur

Instructions

 

• Warm the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 6-8 minutes, until soft and golden at the edges.
• Add the garlic, cumin and smoked paprika and stir for 1 minute, until fragrant. Do not let the paprika burn, or it turns bitter.
• Add the tomatoes and the water or stock and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the chickpeas and the salt and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered. Crush a few chickpeas with the back of the spoon to thicken the sauce.
• Add the spinach in handfuls, letting each one wilt before adding the next, then cook for 2-3 minutes more.
• Taste for salt. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and bread or bulgur.

Keyword autumn, budget, chickpea stew, chickpeas, gluten-free, meal prep, one pan, smoked paprika, spinach, stew, tomatoes, vegan, winter

Nutrition per serving

Per serving, 1/4 of the pan, calculated from USDA FoodData Central for each ingredient.

Data: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Chickpeas, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt (FDC 173757); Onions, raw (FDC 170000); Garlic, raw (FDC 169230); Tomatoes, red, ripe, canned, packed in tomato juice (FDC 170051); Spinach, raw (FDC 168462); Oil, olive, salad or cooking (FDC 171413). Chickpeas are calculated on the cooked, drained weight; 45 ml olive oil is counted as 40.5 g. The salt line counts only the salt you add; the canned tomatoes and spinach bring about 0.4 g more per serving, and canned chickpeas more again, so with cans use less salt or none. Cumin, paprika, stock, bread and bulgur are not included. Carbohydrate is USDA “by difference” and includes fibre.

Swaps and variations

• Frozen spinach: 250 g, thawed and squeezed, added with the chickpeas.
• Other greens: chopped chard or kale; give them 5-6 minutes instead of 2-3.
• More protein: a fried or poached egg on top (a large egg adds about 6 g of protein), or crumbled feta (not vegan then).
• Less fat: 1 1/2 tbsp oil works; each tablespoon left out takes about 30 kcal off a serving.
• Spicier: a pinch of chilli flakes with the garlic.

Storage and reheating

Keeps 3-4 days covered in the fridge and tastes better on day two. Reheat gently with a splash of water. It freezes for up to 3 months; the spinach goes softer, but the stew is fine.

Related

• Recipes: Pasta e ceci · Classic hummus · Roasted pumpkin with chickpeas, tahini and pomegranate
• Encyclopedia: Chickpeas · Spinach · Tomatoes · Extra virgin olive oil
• Diet: Mediterranean diet · 7-day Mediterranean meal plan

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