Plant-based

Spanish Chickpeas & Spinach

Name: Spanish Chickpeas & Spinach
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 3 tins (720g drained) chickpeas, rinsed; 400g frozen leaf spinach, defrosted and squeezed; 1 (150g) onion, finely chopped; 6 cloves (30g) garlic, thinly sliced; 1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes; 40g ground almonds; 6g (2 tsp) ground cumin; 6g (2 tsp) smoked paprika; 1g chilli flakes; 30ml sherry vinegar; 45ml extra virgin olive oil; 1 cube vegetable stock cube; 200ml water

Chickpeas and spinach in a smoky tomato sauce thickened with a paste of fried garlic, toasted almonds, cumin, smoked paprika and sherry vinegar.

makes 23 blocks, about 23p each

Jump to recipe

Illustration of a bowl of Spanish Chickpeas & Spinach

Time: 50 min15 min prep · 35 min cook
Makes: 23 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 23p
Calories per blockCalories: 82 kcal
Spice

Ingredients

Batch size

blocks

3 tins (720g drained)chickpeas, rinsed
400gfrozen leaf spinach, defrosted and squeezed
1 (150g)onion, finely chopped
6 cloves (30g)garlic, thinly sliced
1 × 400g tinchopped tomatoes
40gground almonds
6g (2 tsp)ground cumin
6g (2 tsp)smoked paprika
1gchilli flakes
30mlsherry vinegar
45mlextra virgin olive oil
1 cubevegetable stock cube
200mlwater

Allergens: Tree nuts, Sulphites. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

VG
GF
DF
NUTS

Nutrition

estimated

	1 block	3 blocks
Energy	82 kcal	246 kcal
Protein	3.7g	11.1g
Carbs	8.2g	24.6g
Fat	3.8g	11.4g
Fibre	2.6g	7.8g
Salt	0.25g	0.75g

Method

Step 1: Heat 30ml of the oil in a large, deep pan over a medium heat and fry the garlic for 2 minutes until pale golden. Lift it out with a slotted spoon.
Step 2: Add the ground almonds to the oil and toast for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until golden. Tip into a bowl with the garlic, cumin, paprika, chilli flakes and vinegar and mash to a paste.
Step 3: Add the rest of the oil to the pan and soften the onion for 8 minutes.
Step 4: Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes, then the chickpeas, stock cube and water and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Stir in the almond paste and spinach and simmer for 5 minutes until thick and the spinach is hot through. Season with salt.
Step 6: Cool and freeze in 70g blocks.

Hotter: use hot smoked paprika, or double the chilli flakes.

Serve it

Crusty bread and a green salad · As one of a spread of tapas · Over rice or a jacket potato

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	82	3.7g	8.2g	3.8g	2.6g	0.25g
Per 3 blocks	246	11.1g	24.6g	11.4g	7.8g	0.75g

Cook’s notes

The traditional thickener is fried bread pounded with garlic. Ground almonds do the same job and keep it gluten-free.
Warm the spices in the paste rather than the hot pan; smoked paprika turns bitter quickly over direct heat.

Serve it

Crusty bread and a green salad · As one of a spread of tapas · Over rice or a jacket potato.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 246 kcal and 11.1g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Spanish Chickpeas & Spinach questions

Why make a paste of garlic and almonds?

Stirred in near the end, the paste thickens the sauce and gives it a nutty, garlicky body, so the stew clings to the chickpeas instead of sitting in a thin broth.

Can I use fresh spinach?

Yes, use about 600g. Wilt it in batches in the pan before the tomatoes go in, then squeeze out the extra water so the stew doesn't turn watery.

What can I use instead of sherry vinegar?

Red wine vinegar works, though it is a little sharper, so start with 20ml and taste. Cider vinegar is milder and fruitier.