Chickpea and Spinach Couscous with Cashews

This is a dish that is on my ‘I have nothing in the fridge’ or ‘I have no time to cook‘ or ‘I want something healthy that my kid will love‘ recipe roster. It’s something that I have been cooking for years and is still a family favorite. I love the simplicity of it, and the versatility. If you don’t have chickpeas, go ahead and use white navy beans or kidney beans. If you don’t have spinach, use collard greens or kale. Recipe and photos contributed by Sophia Zergiotis of Love and Lentils.

Chickpea and Spinach Couscous with Cashews

This is a dish that is on my ‘I have nothing in the fridge’ or ‘I have no time to cook‘ or ‘I want something healthy that my kid will love‘ recipe roster. It's a flexible dish of grains, beans, and greens

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Grain main dish

Cuisine: Vegan / Healthy

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

Author: Veg Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 cup couscous preferable whole wheat
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 28- ounce can diced tomatoes with juice preferably organic
• 2 cups baby spinach washed
• 14- to 16- ounce can chickpeas rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup cashews lightly toasted

Instructions

• Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add your couscous, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Remove lid, fluff up the couscous using a fork. Set aside.
• In a large pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, paprika and lemon. Stir. Add tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add spinach and chickpeas. Stir, allowing the spinach to wilt. Taste, and adjust any seasonings if needed. In the meantime, lightly toast the cashews in a small pan on the stove top. Spread the nuts out in an even layer and heat over medium, shaking often – don't overcrowd.
• Keep stirring or shaking for about 5 minutes, or until nuts are fragrant and browned.
• To serve, spoon the couscous into a shallow bowl, then spoon the chickpea and spinach mix over the top. Top with toasted cashews and serve at once.

• Here are more healthy whole grain recipes.