Espinacas Con Garbanzos

A lot of countries seem to have their own version for spinach and chickpeas, including Turkey, India, and Spain. This recipe is for the Spanish variety (hence the sexy Spanish title!). You start off by toasting breadcrumbs in oil with garlic and a little onion. Then add some sweetly tart tomatoes that create a thick sauce when mixed in with the bread. After adding in the chickpeas and spinach, you top it with a fried egg for oozy goozy goodness. Sprinkled on top is a finishing of smoked paprika that immediately wakes up your taste buds. Scoop everything onto a slice of pan-fried toast for a delicious bite after bite after bite after bite! Come to think of it…this recipe would also make a great appetizer…hmm…maybe I’ll do that the next time I have people over…

Anyway! The fried egg is slightly fluffy, totally creamy, and adds extra protein to this already healthy dish. The pairing of a thick garlicky tomato sauce with cumin seasoned chickpeas is really great. Some curry powder is added for spice, but hot sauce also works great. Everything about this dish reminds me of a tapas bar I went to when I first visited Spain.

You can eat this for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and be completely satisfied.  I use baby spinach since that’s what we always have in the fridge, but regular spinach or frozen spinach can be substituted without a problem. If you want to make this dish even healthier, I’ve made it with breadcrumbs and without, both versions turn out nicely. The fried egg can also be omitted, but I think it adds that little something extra to this dish.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves (minced)

½ medium red onion (diced)

1/3 cup bread crumbs (I use Panko)

1 tomato (diced)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon curry powder (optional)

14.5oz can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

8-10 oz baby spinach (roughly chopped)

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoons red wine vinegar

2-3 slices of bread (fried with additional oil)

1 fried egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, sauté until lightly golden. Add in the breadcrumbs; cook for 3 minutes or until lightly toasted.

Add in the diced tomato, tomato paste, cumin, curry, and paprika. Stir to combine.

Add in the chickpeas, chopped spinach, vinegar, and water. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.

In a skillet with 1 or 2 teaspoons of oil in it, add the sliced bread. Toast/fry on both sides (about 2 mins per side maximum).

In another skillet, fry an egg (medium-low heat, 1 tablespoon butter, crack egg, cook until desired consistency).

Plate the chickpeas and spinach over the bread, top with fried egg. Sprinkle with a little salt/pepper and a pinch of additional smoked paprika.

Enjoy!