A bowl of curry-spiced chickpeas, tomatoes, and kale.

Friends, first, thank you all so much for your kind comments on the Taco Night, Simplified post. I laughed so much reading them and really appreciated learning that you, too, rely on taco seasoning packets, that you make fish tacos with Trader Joe’s fish nuggets, that you love mashed potatoes from a box and Better Than Bouillon, and that you stock Costco-sized cereal boxes. Thank you.

In the spirit of relying on pantry items to get dinner on the table, I think you all will really, really love this recipe for spicy chickpeas with tomatoes and greens from Jenny Rosenstrach’s latest book, The Weekday Vegetarians. In the intro to the recipe Jenny writes:

“This meal is a revelation because it’s healthy, crazy flavorful, … and made almost entirely from canned pantry staples that you probably always have on hand. We call this “can-to-table” cooking in our house — you heard it here first!”

Made me laugh!

Let’s get straight to it: this will be your prep on spicy chickpeas with tomatoes and kale night:

  • dice half an onion
  • mince a clove of garlic
  • mince a knob of ginger (I’ve been throwing this along with the ginger into the food processor.)
  • roughly chopping some kale

The rest of the prep is a matter of measuring things and throwing them into the skillet. Did I mention this is a one-pan-wonder? It is! And this is definitely a recipe you can prep as you go, so long as you have your aromatics — your garlic, onions, and ginger — minced at the start.

As noted above, Jenny’s recipe relies on pantry items — canned chickpeas, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and coconut milk — and I have used all of these items and loved it, but the beauty of this recipe right now, in this bridge season between summer and fall, when we’re all excited about butternut squash and Brussels sprouts but the tomatoes are still abounding, is that you can use as much as a pound of fresh tomatoes in this recipe in place of the can… only if you wish!

Friends, I am so excited about this recipe for a few reasons, namely, it is very simple and tasty, but also because it (without the kale) reminds me of the chana masala from my favorite local Indian restaurant, a dish I have been meaning to take a stab at for years but have been too intimidated to do so for whatever reason.

Also and moreover: half of my children love this! Like gobble-it-up love it. Like can’t-handle-the-smells-when-it’s-cooking love it. Like request-it-when-I-haven’t-made-it-in-a-few-days love it. This is the best feeling.

A Few Notes:

  • I’ve been making this with these slow cooker chickpeas, which couldn’t be simpler, and which are so tasty. If you don’t have a slow cooker and want to cook the chickpeas from scratch, here’s my guide. Of course, canned chickpeas are fine. I like the Goya brand.
  • The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup of coconut milk. It also suggests serving it with rice, so I have been making this coconut rice to serve along side. The coconut rice calls for 3/4 cup coconut milk, and so I have been reserving this amount for the rice and then using the rest of the can for the chickpeas. The extra coconut milk makes the dish a little richer, I suppose, but it certainly does not taste too rich or sweet.
  • Finally, the original recipe calls for stirring 1/4 cup of warm water into a teaspoon of miso and stirring this in at the end. If you have miso on hand, go for it! If you don’t, don’t run out and get it. The dish is plenty flavorful without it, especially if you add a splash more coconut milk, as noted above. 

The Weekday Vegetarians

A book, The Weekday Vegetarians, on a countertop.

I’m really loving The Weekday Vegetarians. As you all know, I am not a vegetarian, but I do love vegetarian cooking, and to be frank, I’ve been relying on more meat than I care to admit to get dinner on the table of late. This book has been just the inspiration I needed to get back on track. Here are a few recipes I am excited to make:

  • Cauliflower Cutlets with Romesco Sauce
  • Herby, Brothy Lima Beans
  • Crunchy-Cheesy Bean Bake
  • Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes with Miso-Tahini Sauce

Friends, do you have this book? If so, have you discovered any gems?

If You Love These Chickpeas, You’ll Also Love:

How to Make Spicy Chickpeas with Tomatoes & Kale, Step by Step

First, gather your ingredients.

The ingredients to make spicy chickpeas with tomatoes and kale.

Then, sauté the diced onion, garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a couple of tablespoons of oil.

A skillet holding onions, garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper flakes.

Add curry powder and toast for a few minutes.

A skillet on the stovetop holding curry spiced onions, garlic, and ginger.

Then add a tablespoon of tomato paste and toast for another minute.

A skillet on the stovetop of sautéed onions, garlic, ginger, and curry spices.

Add the chickpeas and stir until they are coated in the spices.

A skillet holding aromatics, curry spices, and chickpeas.

Pour in water or vegetable stock along with a can of diced tomatoes (or a pound of fresh tomatoes if you still have some on hand).

A skillet on the stovetop holding curry-spiced chickpeas and tomatoes.

Simmer for ten minutes or so, then stir in a heap of kale.

A skillet on the stovetop holding stewy chickpeas and tomatoes with a heap of kale on top.
A skillet holding curry spiced chickpeas, kale, and tomatoes.

Finally, add coconut milk and, if you wish, a miso-water “slurry” (see notes in the recipe box).

A skillet on the stovetop holding spicy chickpeas, tomatoes, and kale.
A skillet holding stewy, spicy chickpeas with kale and tomatoes.
A bowl of spicy chickpeas with tomatoes and kale.
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A bowl of spicy chickpeas with tomatoes and kale.

Spicy Chickpeas with Tomatoes & Kale

★★★★★

5 from 24 reviews
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This recipe has been slightly adapted from Jenny Rosenstrach’s latest book, The Weekday Vegetarians. 

A few notes: 

  • I’ve been making this with these slow cooker chickpeas, which couldn’t be simpler, and which are so tasty. If you don’t have a slow cooker and want to cook the chickpeas from scratch, here’s my guide. Of course, canned chickpeas are fine. I like the Goya brand.
  • The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup of coconut milk. It also suggests serving it with rice, so I have been making this coconut rice to serve along side. The coconut rice calls for 3/4 cup coconut milk, and so I have been reserving this amount for the rice and then using the rest of the can for the chickpeas. The extra coconut milk makes the dish a little richer, I suppose, but it certainly does not taste too rich or sweet.
  • Finally, the original recipe calls for stirring 1/4 cup of warm water into a teaspoon of miso and stirring this in at the end. If you have miso on hand, go for it! If you don’t, don’t run out and get it. The dish is plenty flavorful without it, especially if you add a splash more coconut milk, as noted above. 

Ingredients

For the chickpeas:

  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed, olive, or other neutral oil
  • 1/2 small yellow or white onion, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
  • crushed red pepper flakes to taste (I use 1/2 teaspoon or less)
  • kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons curry powder, I love Madras brand
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 3 cups cooked chickpeas or two 15-oz cans, drained and rinsed
  • one 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes or 1 lb. diced fresh tomatoes (about 2 cups)
  • 1 cup water or vegetable stock (I always use water)
  • 2 to 4 cups stemmed and chopped fresh kale
  • 1 teaspoon miso, optional, see notes above
  • 1/4 cup (or more) unsweetened coconut milk

For serving:

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet set over medium-low heat, combine the oil, onion, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, pinch salt, and black pepper to taste. Cook until slightly softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
  2. Add the curry powder, and stir, coating it in the aromatics and toasting it a bit, another 2 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stirring it into the curry-coated aromatics, and cook for another minute or until the red color darkens and it smells toasty. Add the chickpeas and stir to coat them in the curry mixture. Cook for another two minutes or until the chickpeas are evenly coated in the spices; then taste a chickpea for seasoning. Adjust accordingly if it needs more salt or pepper to taste. 
  3. Add the tomatoes and water (or stock) and simmer for 10 minutes or until everything is warmed through. Add more water as needed if it looks too thick — chickpeas can absorb a ton of liquid. Add the kale and cook until wilted. 
  4. If using the miso, stir it into 1/4 cup warm water and add it to the skillet along with the coconut milk. Stir to combine and cook for another minute or two. As noted above, I add more like 3/4 cup coconut milk and use another 3/4 cup coconut milk for this coconut rice. 
  5. Serve with rice or naan, a lime wedge, and a sprinkle of cilantro, if you wish. 
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American, Indian

Keywords: spicy, chickpeas, chana, masala, curry