Greek Chickpeas with Spinach (Revithia me Spanaki)
A soulful Greek one-pot of chickpeas braised with spinach, tomato and lemon, mopped up with crusty bread — cheap, plant-based and deeply savoury.
Per serving, as written.
One of those Greek dishes that feels like it costs far more than it does. Chickpeas do the heavy lifting — protein, fibre and body — while spinach, tomato and a big hit of lemon at the end keep it bright rather than heavy. It’s a proper plant-based main that even committed meat-eaters go back to.
The chickpeas and a good crumble of feta carry the protein, so a lighter plate comes down to the finishing olive oil and the bread you serve it with — ease those back and the stew and its feta, the good parts, stay untouched.
It thickens as it sits, so if you’re reheating leftovers just loosen with a little water.
Ingredients
For the stew
- 600 g drained canned chickpeas (about 3 x 400 g cans)
- 200 g spinach
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 60 ml olive oil
- 400 g passata
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- salt and pepper
For the table
- 120 g feta, crumbled
To serve
- 200 g crusty bread, for mopping
Method
- Warm the olive oil in a pot over medium heat and soften the onion with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic, cumin and paprika and stir for another minute until fragrant.
- Add the passata and drained chickpeas, along with a splash of water to loosen. Season, bring to a gentle simmer, and let it bubble for 15 to 20 minutes so the chickpeas take on the sauce.
- Stir the spinach through in handfuls, letting each wilt down before adding the next, until it has all collapsed into the stew.
- Finish with the lemon juice and check the seasoning. Serve in bowls topped with plenty of crumbled feta and a drizzle of olive oil — its sharp saltiness cuts through the earthy spinach — with crusty bread for mopping.
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