Creamy Tomato Coconut Chickpeas

Chickpeas are cooked in a silky tomato-coconut sauce with spinach, served with broccoli and warm naan or rice.

This week, I’m thrilled to share this Creamy Tomato Coconut Chickpeas recipe. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe below to get all future editions of The Grocery Edit straight to your inbox.

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This creamy tomato chickpea recipe is a warm and comforting dish rich in plant-based fibre and protein from chickpeas. With minimal chopping, this recipe is easy to prepare and perfect for a weeknight dinner. Served with veggies, warm naan, and/or rice, this dish will become a staple in your weeknight routine.

Recipe Notes

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Protein:

We’re using chickpeas as our protein source. Aside from nutrition, one of the reasons I love plant-based meals is that they are often quicker to make. Canned chickpeas offer a convenient option for easy weeknight meals because they don’t require the same prep and cooking time as animal proteins. They are also budget-friendly, making them an all-around win.

Vegetables:

We’re adding spinach to the chickpeas. I love using pre-washed spinach to reduce prep time. We are adding a substantial amount of spinach to this recipe but once cooked, spinach wilts down to almost nothing. While the volume of spinach in the final recipe doesn’t look like much, I assure you it still adds loads of nutrients and fibre.

I also suggest serving this recipe with a second vegetable, such as steamed broccoli.

Sauce:

The sauce is made from coconut milk, tomato paste, garlic, ginger, and spices. Simmering the sauce for about 20 minutes creates a deliciously rich and silky texture you’ll love.

Equipment needed:

• Cutting board and chef’s knife

• Garlic press or microplane

• Large skillet

• Can opener

• Measuring spoons

• Pot for cooking rice (optional)

Grocery List:

Fresh items:

• Small onion

• Garlic clove

• Ginger (a small piece)

• Spinach (4 packed cups)

• Broccoli (for serving)

• Naan (optional, for serving)

Pantry items you may already have on hand:

• Avocado oil (1 tbsp for cooking)

• Can of chickpeas (1 x 540 ml)

• Dried rosemary

• Paprika

• Vegetable broth

• Can of coconut milk (1 x 400 ml)

• Tomato paste

• Salt

• Basmati rice (optional for serving)

The prep for this recipe is fairly minimal. Beyond measuring out the ingredients and a small amount of chopping, the main time commitment of this recipe is simmering. To create a smooth cooking process, especially the first time you make it, here are some steps to do at any point before you begin cooking:

• Dice 1 small onion (about 3/4 cup)

• Mince 1-2 cloves of garlic (1 large or 2 small)

• Mince ginger (about 1 tsp total)

• Measure out spices into a small bowl: 1/2 tsp dried ground rosemary, 1/2 tsp of paprika

• Measure 1/2 cup vegetable broth

• Measure 3 tbsp tomato paste into a small bowl

• Drain and rinse chickpeas

Keep all fresh ingredients covered and refrigerated until it’s time to cook.

Creamy Tomato Coconut Chickpeas

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp avocado oil

• Small onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)

• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced (depending on size - 1 large or 2 small)

• 1 tsp minced fresh ginger

• 1/2 tsp dried ground rosemary

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1/2 cup vegetable broth

• 540 ml can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 400 ml can of coconut milk

• 3 tbsp tomato paste

• Salt, to taste

• 4 packed cups spinach

• For serving:

  • Steamed broccoli

  • Naan and/or basmati rice

How to make it:

1. Cook rice according to package instructions (if making) and begin steaming broccoli.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and sauté until translucent and starting to brown, about 3 minutes.

3. Add garlic, ginger, rosemary, and paprika to the pan. Continue to cook, stirring until the garlic and spices become fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. Deglaze the pan by adding vegetable broth. Allow the broth to simmer while stirring the mixture and scraping the bottom to loosen any stuck bits, for about 1 minute.

5. Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas, coconut milk, and tomato paste to the pan. Stir until combined.

6. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes. The sauce will reduce in volume and become silky. While the mixture simmers, add salt to taste.

7. In the last two minutes of cooking, add 4 packed cups of spinach. Stir until the spinach has wilted and reduced in volume.

8. Serve with a side of steamed broccoli, basmati rice and/or naan.

Enjoy!

I would love to hear from you! Let me know if you tried the recipe. You can message me via the button below or the Substack app.

Happy Holidays! I’m taking a break next week and will see you back on Saturday, January 4th!

~Brittany

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