Spinach, Chickpea, and Egg Skillet

September 14, 2020 by Nicole Collins

It’s just another Meatless Monday.

How’s everyone feeling today?

I was thinking about this the other day, but I’m really starting to enjoy this meatless eating thing. How about you guys?

It certainly helps that dairy and eggs are still on the table. I definitely don’t think I’d survive the #MeatlessMonday movement without them. And, I don’t think that’s cheating, do you? I mean the point is to go meatless, not vegan.

In exchange for meat, I’m definitely finding myself eating a lot more legumes these days. And, I’m so into it! For the most part, they’re shelf stable, they’re really cheap, and they’re kind of a blank canvas. So, we can give them any flavor profile we want!

For today’s recipe, we’re keeping things so simple. The legume of choice is the chickpea today, and we’re really letting it shine.

So today, we’re making Spinach, Chickpea, and Egg Skillet!

This meal comes together so quickly, and you could enjoy for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s light, but filling and can easily be served alongside a small salad or some fresh fruit.

Let’s get into. We start by wilting down a big ol’ bag of spinach with a decent amount of garlic, some salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper. You guys have seen Aleppo pepper in my recipes a little more frequently lately. I absolutely love it. I love the pop of color it adds. I love the hit of smoky heat that it brings. I really think it’s a worthwhile investment to order some from Amazon if you can’t find it sold in a local store (which I haven’t). We’re using a good bit of Aleppo pepper on this spinach, so we’ll definitely have a little tingle of spiciness on our tongue when it’s time to eat.

After the spinach is wilted, we’re going to add a can of drained chickpeas to the party. Let them cook for a few minutes just to soften them up a smidge, then give some of the beans a little smash with a fork to help break them down. Stir the pot to make sure the spinach and chickpeas are fully incorporated, then make little wells in the mix so we can add some eggs to the party.

We’ll carefully crack some eggs in the little pockets we created in the spinach/chickpea mix, cover our pan, and let the eggs cook through just long enough for the eggs to be set but the yolk to still be nice and ooey gooey. Of course if you prefer a firmer egg, you can absolutely let the eggs cook a little longer until they reach your desired texture.

This whole meal comes together in about 15 minutes. I told you it was quick! Once the eggs finish cooking, we take everything off the heat, give the whole situation a sprinkle of freshly shredded parmesan cheese, then add another sprinkle of Aleppo pepper (if you feel like that’s the right thing to do). That’s it! A super healthy, protein loaded, meatless 15 minute meal for 4 is ready to go!

This dish just tastes clean. It’s so fresh thanks to the spinach but so comforting thanks to the chickpeas and eggs. And, don’t let that Aleppo pepper fool you. There’s a definite kick happening here. I wouldn’t say this dish is spicy. But, there’s a little “woo” happening. So, feel free to reduce the Aleppo pepper or swap it out for smoked paprika if you don’t want to feel that subtle heat in the back of your bite.

Alrighty, everyone! We have another Meatless Monday officially in the books. I can’t wait for you to see what else is coming up in queue!

Enjoy, and let’s eat!

Spinach, Chickpea, and Egg Skillet

Serves: 4 Print

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 bag (8 oz) spinach, roughly chopped (about 3 ½ cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced
¾ tsp aleppo pepper, plus more to taste
¼ tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/8 tsp pepper
1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed
4 eggs
¼ cup shredded parmesan

Directions:

Heat butter and olive oil in a large non stick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook for 30 seconds- 1 minute until fragrant. Add spinach, ¼ tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, and ¾ tsp aleppo pepper. Stir to combine, and cook for 2-3 mins, stirring occasionally, until the spinach has wilted.
Add chickpeas to the spinach, cover, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the chickpeas soften slightly. Gently smash some of the chickpeas with a fork, and mix around to evenly incorporate chickpeas with the spinach.
Make 4 little wells in the spinach mix. Carefully crack 1 egg into each well, and top with a pinch of salt. Cover, and cook for 3-4 mins until the egg whites have set. Remove from heat, top with cheese, and finish with another pinch of aleppo pepper, if desired. Serve!

Recipe notes:

*Aleppo pepper is a ground chili spice seen frequently in Turkish cooking. It's a little smoky and a little spicy. The heat of this dish from the pepper hits you towards the end of the bite. If you don't want this to be spicy, reduce the aleppo pepper used.

*If you don't like runny yolks, you can cook the eggs longer until they reach your desired doneness. I like them nice and gooey so about 3 ½ mins was perfect for me.

*It's not necessary to peel the chickpeas before we use them in this dish.

*I recommend using freshly shredded parmesan cheese. It melts MUCH better than the pre-bagged stuff.

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