Skillet Chickpea and Spinach Stew
Canned chickpeas, tomatoes, and dried greens in one pan with a heavy hand of warm spice.
- calories
- 420
- weight
- 11 oz
- cal / oz
- 38
- protein
- 14 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 25 min
- total time
- 35 min
- water
- 250 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Lunch
- Canister stove
- Campfire coals
- Liquid fuel
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Olive oil | 3 tbsp | |
|---|---|---|
| Dried minced onion | 3 tbsp | replaces one yellow onion, no cutting board |
| Garlic | 3 cloves | or 1 tsp granulated garlic |
| Moroccan spice blend | 2 tsp | cumin, coriander, cinnamon, paprika, ginger |
| Canned diced tomatoes | 1 can (14 oz) | |
| Canned chickpeas | 2 cans (15 oz each) | drained; liquid saved |
| Vegetable bouillon | 1 cube | |
| Dried spinach | 1 cup loose | freeze-dried or dehydrated |
| Salt and black pepper | to taste | |
| Lemon juice | 1 tbsp | from a small bottle |
| Dried parsley or cilantro | 1 tbsp |
Method
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet or wide pot over a medium flame. Add the dried onion and 3 tbsp water and let it soften for two minutes.
- Add the garlic and the spice blend. Stir for thirty seconds, no longer. The spices should smell toasted, not scorched.
- Pour in the tomatoes with their juice, the drained chickpeas, the crumbled bouillon cube, and about 250 ml of water.
- Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring now and then. If it sticks, move the pan off the hottest part of the fire and add a splash of water.
- Stir in the dried spinach and let it rehydrate in the sauce for three minutes.
- Kill the heat. Add the lemon juice, the dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Taste and add more salt than you think.
The original is a fridge recipe: fresh onion, a bag of baby spinach, half a lemon. None of that survives a weekend in a hot car. Dried onion, dried spinach, and bottled lemon juice do the same jobs and weigh a fraction as much, so the only heavy things in the pack are the cans.
Order matters more than technique here. The spices need thirty seconds in hot oil before liquid arrives or they stay dusty, and the spinach goes in at the very end because dried greens turn to sludge if they simmer. The lemon is not a garnish. Tomato and chickpea both go flat without acid, and it goes in off the heat so it does not cook away.
Packing
Spices, bouillon, dried onion, dried spinach, and herbs go in one jar or bag as a kit. Cans and the oil bottle ride separately. Drain the chickpeas into a bottle rather than onto the ground if you are in bear country.
Variations
- Serve over instant couscous or rice to stretch it to six people.
- A handful of raisins or chopped dried apricot in with the tomatoes leans it sweeter.
- Swap half the chickpeas for a pouch of cooked lentils if you want it thicker.
https://camprecipes.com/skillet-moroccan-chickpea-and-spinach-stew