Mediterranean Spinach Chickpea Stew
This spinach chickpea stew turns a bag of frozen spinach and some chickpeas into a wholesome one-pot dinner to feed a crowd! There are variations of this spinach stew recipe with tomatoes throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East. My mom made her spinach stew, Egyptian-style using lean ground beef, but I opted for a vegan option, which is just as hearty and satisfying, thanks to chickpeas!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion (finely chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- kosher salt
- 1 cup san Marzano tomatoes (with their juices)
- 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1 pound frozen spinach (chopped)
- 15 ounces canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/4 cup cooked chickpeas)
- 1 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- black pepper
- 1/2 cup broken vermicelli noodles (or orzo)
- 1 lemon (juice of)
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and garlic and cook, tossing regularly, for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened.
- Add the tomatoes, spinach, chickpeas, and chicken broth. Add the parsley and season with a good dash of kosher salt and black pepper. Stir in the spices.
- Bring to a boil of medium-high, then turn the heat down to low and cover partway, leaving part of the top open. Allow the spinach to simmer for 25 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- While the spinach stew is simmering, toast the vermicelli. In a small pan, heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high. Add the vermicelli and continuously stir to toast it evenly. Vermicelli should turn a nice golden brown, but watch carefully not to over-brown or burn. Remove from heat.
- Stir in the toasted vermicelli in the spinach stew and cook for another 10 minutes or until the vermicelli noodles are cooked to tender.
- Remove from the heat and finish with lemon juice and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Notes
- To use fresh spinach in place of frozen spinach: you'll need about 2 1/2 pounds of fresh spinach leaves (stems removed). You'll start by quickly sauteing the fresh spinach in olive oil until it wilts some, finishing it with a splash of lemon juice. Once you've done that, you'll set it aside and proceed with the recipe.
- Leftovers: properly stored in the fridge, this spinach soup will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils and spices used in this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 245.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.2g | Protein: 15.4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.7g | Sodium: 536.8mg | Potassium: 990.9mg | Fiber: 13.5g | Sugar: 7.9g | Vitamin A: 14923IU | Vitamin C: 53.4mg | Calcium: 250.5mg | Iron: 6.8mg
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