Chickpea Stew with Spinach
A hearty Greek stew that my yiayia made every week - chickpeas, greens, and plenty of olive oil.
My yiayia made this stew at least once a week. Chickpeas were cheap, greens grew everywhere, and olive oil—well, we had olive trees. This is peasant food, the kind that kept people healthy for generations.
In Greece, we eat legumes constantly. Lentils, beans, chickpeas—this is what the Blue Zones are built on. Not expensive supplements or fancy diets. Just simple food, cooked with love and good olive oil.
This stew gets better the next day. The flavors come together, the chickpeas get creamier. Make a big pot.
Ingredients
Instructions
- If using dried chickpeas, soak overnight and cook until tender, about 1 hour. Canned is fine for weeknights.
- Heat half the olive oil in a large pot. Cook the onion until soft and golden, about 8 minutes.
- Add garlic, cumin, and oregano. Stir for one minute until fragrant. This is when it starts to smell like my yiayia’s kitchen.
- Pour in the tomatoes and add the bay leaf. Let simmer 10 minutes.
- Add the chickpeas with their liquid (or add 1 cup water if using cooked dried chickpeas). Simmer 20 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach. It looks like a lot but will wilt down quickly. Cook 5 more minutes.
- Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and remaining olive oil. Taste for salt—it probably needs more.
- Serve warm with crusty bread and extra olive oil drizzled on top.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (approximate)
Tips from My Kitchen
The secret is the olive oil. Don’t reduce it. In Mediterranean cooking, olive oil isn’t just for cooking—it’s a main ingredient. That final drizzle of raw olive oil at the end? Essential.
Some villages add a little tomato paste for deeper color. Others add dill instead of parsley. My aunt in Thessaloniki adds a pinch of cinnamon. All good. This is home cooking—there’s no single right way.
Kalí órexi!
