Fragrant Chickpea Spinach Stew with Couscous

Easy weeknight dinner with Mediterranean flavors. Tender chickpeas and vibrant spinach simmer in a spiced tomato broth (cumin, paprika, coriander), served over fluffy couscous. Comforting, healthy, and ready in about 25 minutes. Vegetarian with a vegan option. Save this one-pot dinner for busy nights!

Time + Yield

• Prep: 10 min (active)

• Cook: 15 min (active)

• Total: 25 min

• Servings: 4

• Active Time: 25 min

• Passive Time: None

Ingredients Stew:

• 400 g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed [2 cups]

• 150 g fresh spinach, chopped [3 cups]

• 200 g canned crushed tomatoes [1 cup]

• 1 medium onion (100 g), finely chopped [½ cup]

• 2 garlic cloves (6 g), minced [1 tsp]

• 5 g ginger, grated [1 tsp]

• 5 g cumin powder [1 tsp]

• 3 g smoked paprika [½ tsp]

• 10 mL olive oil [2 tsp]

• 5 mL lemon juice [1 tsp]

• 5 g salt [1 tsp]

• 200 mL water [¾ cup + 1 tbsp]

Couscous:

• 150 g couscous [¾ cup]

• 200 mL boiling water [¾ cup + 1 tbsp]

• 5 mL olive oil [1 tsp]

Garnish:

• 10 g fresh coriander, chopped [2 tbsp]

• 1 small lemon, cut into wedges

Substitutes:

• Couscous unavailable? Use 150 g quinoa or broken wheat.

• Canned tomatoes alternative: 200 g fresh tomatoes, blended.

Method

1. Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a deep pan (24 cm) over medium heat (180°C/350°F). Add onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook 3 min until onions soften and turn translucent, releasing a fragrant aroma.

2. Build Stew: Add cumin and smoked paprika. Stir 30 sec until spices bloom (oil separates slightly). Add crushed tomatoes, chickpeas, and 200 mL water. Simmer on low (120°C/250°F) for 10 min until thickened.

3. Add Spinach: Stir in spinach, cook 2 min until wilted but bright green. Add lemon juice and salt. Taste for balance.

4. Prepare Couscous: In a bowl, pour boiling water and olive oil over couscous. Cover, let sit 5 min. Fluff with a fork until light.

5. Serve: Spoon couscous into bowls, top with stew. Garnish with coriander and serve with lemon wedges.

Pressure-Cooker Variant: After step 1, add tomatoes, chickpeas, and water to a pressure cooker. Cook 1 whistle (5 min). Add spinach, simmer 2 min. Air-Fryer Variant (for crispy chickpeas): Air-fry half the chickpeas at 180°C/350°F for 8 min, add to stew for texture.

Parallelization Timeline

• While onions cook (3 min), rinse chickpeas and chop spinach.

• While stew simmers (10 min), prepare couscous and chop coriander.

• Assemble as stew finishes to hit 25-min total.

Substitutions & Swaps

• Veg/Vegan: Naturally vegan; ensure couscous is egg-free (check packaging).

• Gluten-Free: Swap couscous for 150 g quinoa (cook 12 min with 300 mL water).

• Budget: Replace spinach with 150 g kale or cabbage (cook 3 min longer).

Scaling

• Halve: Use 200 g chickpeas, 75 g spinach, 100 g tomatoes, 75 g couscous; use a 20 cm pan.

• Double: Use 800 g chickpeas, 300 g spinach, 400 g tomatoes, 300 g couscous; cook in a 28 cm pan to maintain consistency.

Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheat

• Make-Ahead: Prep stew (without spinach) 1 day ahead; add spinach when reheating.

• Storage: Store stew and couscous separately (fridge, 3 days; stew freezer, 1 month).

• Reheat: Microwave stew (800W, 2–3 min) with 10 mL water or simmer (120°C/250°F, 5 min). Fluff couscous with a fork after reheating (800W, 1 min).

• Safety: Reheat stew to 74°C/165°F internally.

Troubleshooting

• Watery Stew: Simmer uncovered 2–3 min to thicken after adding spinach.

• Lumpy Couscous: Ensure water is boiling; fluff immediately after 5 min.

• Under-Spiced: Add 1 g extra cumin or 2 mL lemon juice before serving.

Nutrition per Serving

• Calories: 320 kcal

• Macros: 12 g protein, 50 g carbs, 10 g fat

• Method: Calculated using Cronometer with standard ingredient values.

Cost per Serving (INR)

• The ingredients for this dish are budget-friendly, with costs primarily in USD and approximate conversions for global readers:

  • Chickpeas (400 g): $0.34 (~€0.29 EUR, ~₹30 INR)

  • Spinach (150 g): $0.23 (~€0.20 EUR, ~₹20 INR)

  • Couscous (150 g): $0.45 (~€0.39 EUR, ~₹40 INR)

  • Tomatoes, spices, oil: $0.34 (~€0.29 EUR, ~₹30 INR) (amortized)

  • Total: ~$0.34/serving (~€0.29 EUR, ~₹30 INR)

Variations

1. Spicy Lentil Stew: Swap chickpeas for 400 g cooked red lentils, add 3 g chili powder, simmer 8 min.

2. Mushroom Spinach Stew: Replace chickpeas with 300 g mushrooms, sauté 5 min before adding tomatoes.

3. Moroccan Twist: Add 5 g ras el hanout to stew, swap couscous for 150 g millet.

Plating & Garnish Serve in deep bowls with couscous as a base, topped with steaming stew for contrast. Sprinkle coriander for freshness and add a lemon wedge for a bright, acidic pop. A ceramic bowl enhances the rustic charm.

FAQ

• Can I skip tomatoes? Yes, use 200 mL vegetable broth, but flavor will be less tangy.

• Couscous vs quinoa? Couscous is lighter; quinoa is nuttier and gluten-free but takes longer to cook.

• No fresh spinach? Use 50 g frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry, added in step 3.

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