I have a confession to make. I originally became vegan because I love, love, LOVE leafy greens so much! Gimme a salad over double fudge brownie chocolate ice cream any day!

APRIL FOOLS! I actually cannot stand most leafy greens and am forever looking for ways to “trick” myself into eating them – a handful of leafy greens in a fruit smoothie, a big stack of greens as a condiment on top of my bean burger. Spinach is somewhat palatable to me if it’s part of a spinach artichoke dip, spinach artichoke quiche, vegetable lasagna, chana saag … Well, you get the idea.

I created this Italian-inspired Spinach Chickpea Stew as a way to increase my less-than-desirable greens intake. Since I use an entire bag of spinach, I get a mega dose of greens in each garlicky bowl! Plus, it’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s inexpensive.

A Few Notes About Spinach Chickpea Stew

Use frozen spinach for this stew – not fresh. Fresh spinach looks pretty but wilts away to nothing. You’ll get a lot more spinach from a bag of frozen chopped spinach. In these pictures I used a 10 oz. bag, but I’ve used larger amounts as well – even an entire one pound bag of frozen spinach. Try to defrost it in your fridge before using.

Boil Your Canned Chickpeas – I find canned chickpeas are often a little bit hard, so I’ve taken to draining, rinsing, and then boiling for 10-15 minutes. Boiling makes the chickpeas softer and creamier.

Lately, I’ve been using Better Than Bouillon® Seasoned Vegetable Base for my broth. It’s a paste you stir into hot water. I love it because you can make as much or as little broth as you need. Nothing goes to waste and you’re never stuck figuring out how to add more liquid to a soup without watering down the flavor. Finally, it’s $7.00 or less in stores and you get multiple uses, making it very cost-efficient if you are watching your grocery bill.

Dried Minced Onion – You may not be familiar with dried minced onion. It was all the rage in my great aunts’ day, Of course, I pooh-poohed it in favor of sautéing fresh onions, but recently I gave it another chance. It’s great, super fast way to add some onion flavor to foods that tastes much better than onion powder. Don’t have dried minced onion? Sauté a yellow onion.

Fresh Garlic – Even though everything else in this stew may be canned or frozen or dried, you really need fresh garlic. Nothing else will do.

Ingredients for Spinach Chickpea Stew:

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

4 Garlic Cloves, minced or pressed

1 Quart Vegetable Broth 

1 Small Can (14 – 16 oz.) Chickpeas

1 Small Can (14 – 16 oz.) Diced Tomatoes (With Garlic, Basil, and Oregano or Italian-Style)

1 Small Package Frozen Spinach (about 10-12 oz); you can use more if you like

1 Heaping Teaspoon Basil

1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning

1 Teaspoon Dried Minced Onion

1 Cup Small Pasta Noodles (such as Macaroni or Shells)

Nutritional Yeast or Vegan Parmesan Cheese (Optional)

Directions for Spinach Chickpea Stew:

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Put in a small pot, cover with water, and boil for 10 minutes. (This step is optional, but does make canned chickpeas softer and creamier.)

Meanwhile:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté one minute.

Add the broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, basil, Italian seasoning, and dried minced onion. (This will look like a lot of dried spices but don’t be alarmed. There is no need to panic.) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Add the defrosted spinach and cook another 5 minutes. Finally, add the pasta noodles, and cook for the recommended noodle time.

Serve. If desired, top with nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan cheese.