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Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy to make
• One-pot recipe
• Budget-friendly
• Vegetarian
• Filling
• High in protein
• High in Fiber

How to make chickpeas with spinach and eggs

Step 1 – Prepare the sofrito sauce

• On medium heat, fry the sliced onion and garlic and a little olive oil in a pan until it becomes golden. This should take around 5 minutes.
• Increase the heat of the pan to high and with the pan hot, add the spinach and grated bread (or breadcrumbs) to the mixture and a little more oil. Mix well, you should see it start to thicken. Cook for around 5 minutes.
• Next, reduce the heat to medium and add the ketchup, apple cider vinegar and mix well. 
• Stir thoroughly until you have a paste, then add the tinned tomatoes. Leave to simmer on a medium heat for 5 minutes.

Step 2 – Add the spices and chickpeas

• Add the spices and chickpeas with a splash more oil (optional) and stir through. Allow to simmer for at least 5 minutes on medium heat. 

• Note: Simmering for 15-20 minutes is recommended as it will allow the chickpeas to soften and absorb more flavors. 

Step 3 – Add eggs and serve

• Crack 4 eggs on top and cover the pan with a lid. Cook until the eggs become opaque and white in color, this should take around 4-5 minutes on medium heat. 
• Finally, check the flavoring and season with some cracked black pepper and salt if you like. 
• For a little color, add a pinch of sweet, hot, or smoked paprika over the eggs, and serve!

Authentic Spanish recipe

Variations of Spinach with Chickpeas recipes can be found in the Andalusia region. You’ll find them lovingly served, with great care and dedication on display for such a humble dish. 

The best thing about spinach with chickpeas is it’s super easy to make and can easily be made with a few pantry staples. It’s great as a main meal when served with some fresh bread to soak up the juices, or serve as a tasty tapas. Of course, with a few eggs on top, this classic Spanish recipe becomes the perfect breakfast or brunch recipe! 

Check out this other authentic vegan spinach with chickpeas recipe here!

Easy-to-find ingredients

There’s nothing better than recipes that use easy-to-find and budget-friendly ingredients to make a delicious and hearty meal, and this Chickpeas with Spinach recipe ticks all the boxes! It’s easy to make, and all the veg and beans you need to make this recipe can be purchased tinned or frozen. 

Frozen Spinach

Frozen spinach is a fantastic ingredient that loses little nutritional value when frozen. It’s often considerably cheaper than fresh spinach and only requires thawing and straining in some fresh warm water for a few minutes before use.

Canned tomatoes

They are cheap, easy to find, and probably already hiding in the back of the pantry somewhere — canned or jarred tomatoes are a cheap ingredient that is perfect for this recipe. The authentic Spinach and chickpeas recipe does not use tomatoes, but for this recipe, we found adding a can of tomatoes really works well! 

If you prefer to use fresh tomatoes, find ripe tomatoes and remove the skin (or grate them). Keep as much of the juice as possible as this will help add layers of flavor to the dish.

Canned chickpeas

Chickpeas are typically available in dried or canned (or jarred) form. They’re cheap and an excellent ingredient for bulking up recipes. Chickpeas are packed with carbohydrates that slowly release energy after eating them. This makes them very filling and healthy for your gut too. Win-win! You might also like this chickpea and spinach soup with smoked paprika. 

Nutrition facts for a 1-cup serving of cooked chickpeas: 

• 269 calories.
• 14 grams of protein.
• 4 grams of fat.
• 12 grams of dietary fiber.
• 80 milligrams (mg) of calcium.
• 4.74 mg of iron.
• 78.7 mg of magnesium.

We used canned chickpeas for this recipe, simply for convenience as they require no preparation before cooking. Dried chickpeas require cooking and some preparation before being used in recipes.

Dried chickpeas preparation instructions:

If you’re using dried chickpeas, then allow some extra time to prepare the dried chickpeas. 

• First, soak the dried chickpeas in some clean fresh water overnight. The chickpeas will expand around twice their size so add at least double the amount of water to the chickpeas in a large bowl. 
• Next, drain them from the water and add them to a pan with some fresh water. 
• Cook them in the pan for around 2 hours for them to soften up. Alternatively, use a slow cooker or pressure cooker to prepare your chickpeas.

Nutrition facts

Nutrition facts

How long does chickpeas with spinach and eggs take to make? 

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 30-45 minutes
• Total time: 55 minutes. 

Is this recipe healthy? 

This recipe is considered healthy, although it is a little high in fat, with a 180g serving containing 32% of your recommended daily intake of fats. People who are watching their cholesterol levels should also consume in moderation. It is fatty due to the oil. Extra virgin olive oil is nutritious if you can use this and has many health benefits. 

Where does Spinach and chickpeas originate?

Andalusia, Spain. Spinach and chickpeas, or ‘Espinacas con garbanzos’ in Spanish, is a super popular tapas recipe throughout the Andalusia region.