Cumin Chickpea and Spinach Toast
Canned chickpeas and tomatoes simmered with cumin and garlic, piled onto toasted bread with wilted spinach. A warm, savory open sandwich that comes together in one pan.
- Total
- 17 min
- Prep 5 · Cook 12
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Blooming spices · Simmering
- Savory
- Quick
- Stovetop
- One pan
Instructions
-
Drain the canned chickpeas and pat them dry. Drain the canned tomatoes. Mince the garlic.
~3 min
Draining and patting the chickpeas dry removes excess liquid so they can brown and absorb flavor instead of steaming.
-
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
~2 min
Blooming garlic and cumin in hot oil releases their fat-soluble flavor compounds, making the spices more aromatic and potent.
Blooming spices Cook ground spices in oil over medium heat for about 30 seconds until fragrant; do not let them brown or they turn bitter.
-
Add the canned tomatoes and drained chickpeas with 0.25 tsp salt and 0.125 tsp black pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the chickpeas are hot, about 6 minutes.
~6 min
Simmering allows the tomatoes to break down into a thick sauce while the chickpeas soak up the cumin and garlic flavors.
Simmering Keep the liquid at a gentle bubble, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens enough to coat the chickpeas.
-
While step 3 cooks
While the chickpeas simmer, toast the bread slices in the same skillet, pressing them into the pan, until golden on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Set the toast aside on a plate.
~4 min
Toasting bread in the seasoned skillet lets it absorb the leftover garlic and cumin oils, giving it a savory, seasoned crust.
Toasting the bread in the same pan soaks up the cumin and garlic left in the skillet, so the toast tastes seasoned rather than plain.
-
Stir the spinach into the chickpea mixture and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes.
~2 min
Wilt the spinach briefly so it softens without releasing too much water or losing its bright color and fresh flavor.
-
Spoon the chickpea and spinach mixture over the toasted bread and serve.
~1 min