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    Home » Recipes » Mains

    Published: Feb 6, 2016 · Modified: Nov 15, 2022 by bri · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Mediterranean Chickpea Casserole with Spinach and Feta

    This one pot vegetarian dinner is made with chickpeas simmered in a Mediterranean-spiced tomato stew. It's topped with feta and broiled until golden brown. Can be served with bread or pita for dipping, or over rice. (Gluten-free, Vegan option)
    Jump to Recipe
    Close up of Mediterranean chickpea casserole topped with parsley, feta and lemon
    Close up of Mediterranean chickpea casserole topped with parsley, feta and lemon

    This one pot vegetarian dinner is delicious and easy to make. The Mediterranean tomato stew is bursting with flavor from the red onion, tomatoes, and herbs. Then it's combined with protein-rich chickpeas; and topped with feta cheese that gets crispy in the oven. This cozy chickpea casserole hits the spot when you're craving comfort food, but also want to eat healthy!

    You can serve this tomato chickpea casserole with a side of bread, pita, or naan for dipping. Or, spoon it over cooked rice for an even heartier meal. This recipe makes for delicious leftovers too—it reheats nicely in the oven or microwave.

    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to make
    • Recipe video
    • Storage and reheating tips
    • Frequently asked questions
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • One pot: Easy clean-up. Everything gets cooked and served from one pot!
    • Healthy: This vegetarian (vegan-friendly) and gluten-free dinner is loaded with protein-rich chickpeas and healthy veggies.
    • Delicious: While this recipe is certainly healthy, it's also loaded with flavor. It's healthy comfort food.
    • Versatile: You can serve this Mediterranean Chickpea Casserole with bread, pita, or rice. Leftovers keep well in the fridge, and can be easily reheated for lunch or dinner the next day.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients to make vegetarian Mediterranean Chickpea Casserole.
    • Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans): Chickpeas are versatile, inexpensive, and great sources of protein and fiber (among other health benefits).
    • Red onions: This dish has a lot of big flavors going on, so red onions work best here. You could substitute with yellow onions in a pinch.
    • Passata: Passata is typically sold in tall glass jars with a screw top lid. It's made from strained uncooked tomatoes. If you can't find any, use crushed tomatoes from a can instead (or blend canned whole peeled tomatoes until smooth).
    • Spinach: We usually toss in few handfuls of boxed baby spinach at the end, for some greens. You could substitute the baby spinach with thinly sliced kale instead.
    • Feta cheese: The crumbled feta adds a creamy, salty tang. The whole dish gets quickly broiled so that the feta gets golden brown. For a vegan option, use vegan feta or skip it. (Have extra feta? Make One Pot Lemon Spinach Orzo or Black Lentil Salad with Feta)

    Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.

    Looking for more chickpea recipes? Check out these reader favorites: Vegan Golden Chickpea Noodle Soup, Lemon & Dill Chickpea Sandwiches, Halloumi Couscous Salad with Lemon, and Harissa Spiced Cauiflower Steaks.

    How to make

    This Mediterranean chickpea casserole comes together in one pot. It starts on the stove, then is quickly finished in the oven. Here's how to make this recipe:

    Sauteeing red onions and garlic for Mediterranean Chickpea Stew.
    1. Saute red onion until soft, then add garlic and salt.
    Adding tomatoes and spices to Mediterranean Chickpea Casserole.
    2. Add passata, vegetable stock, and spices.
    Covering pot with lid to simmer Mediterranean Stew.
    3. Cover with a lid and simmer to let the flavors develop.
    Adding chickpeas and stirring to combine for Chickpea Casserole.
    4. Add chickpeas and simmer uncovered until slightly reduced.
    Mediterranean Chickpea Casserole topped with feta cheese before oven.
    5. Stir in spinach, adjust seasonings, then top with feta.
    Chickpea Casserole with golden brown feta being served into bowls.
    6. Broil until feta is golden brown, then serve hot.

    Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.

    Recipe video

    Storage and reheating tips

    Storage instructions

    You can refrigerate leftovers directly in the pot (covered with a lid or plastic wrap); or transfer to an airtight container.

    Reheating instructions

    Oven: Reheat the food, with the lid off, at 275°F (140°C) until warmed through.

    Pro tip: If you stored the food in a cast iron pan, let it come to room temperature while the oven preheats. Cast-iron has a lot of benefits, but one downside is that cast iron can be subject to thermal shock, from extreme temperature changes. Putting a really cold cast iron pot into a hot oven could result in warping or cracking. While unlikely, just play it safe! More tips on how to care for cast iron here.

    Microwave: Reheat the mixture in a microwave-safe container until warmed through.

    Stove: Reheat the food, with the lid on, over medium-low heat until warmed through.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is Tomato Passata?

    Passata is strained pureed fresh tomatoes. It is typically sold in jars and sometimes labelled "strained tomatoes" or "tomato puree".

    Tomato passata is not the same as tomato paste or tomato sauce, as both of these have been cooked.

    What can I substitute for Tomato Passata?

    Use crushed tomatoes from a can. Or, take canned whole peeled tomatoes and blend them, in a high-speed blender, until smooth. Then, measure out an equal amount and replace 1:1.

    Pro-tip: 1 jar (23 fl oz/680 ml) of passata is equivalent to 2¾ cup+2 tablespoons (or just under 3 cups).

    Can I use dried chickpeas for this recipe?

    The chickpeas must be cooked before starting this recipe, but you can certainly substitute home-cooked chickpeas instead of canned!

    1 cup of dried chickpeas should yield about 3 cups cooked chickpeas. Soak and cook them according to your preferred method.

    Easy Mediterranean Chickpea Casserole in a Dutch oven ready to be served.
    Digging into individual services of Mediterranean chickpea casserole with spinach and feta

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      Brothy Oven Baked White Beans
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      Easy Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
    • Bowls of curried pumpkin soup on the counter with cilantro garnish and a female hand digging in
      Curried Pumpkin and Lentil Soup (Vegan)

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 review below!

    📖 Recipe

    Mediterranean Chickpea Casserole with Spinach and Feta

    This one pot vegetarian dinner is made with chickpeas simmered in a Mediterranean-spiced tomato stew. It's topped with feta and broiled until golden brown. Can be served with bread or pita for dipping, or over rice. (Gluten-free, Vegan option)
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 40 minutes
    Total Time 45 minutes
    Servings 4
    Author: Bri
    Pin Recipe
    Close up of Mediterranean chickpea casserole topped with parsley, feta and lemon
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    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 medium red onions, diced (about 3 cups)
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1 (24 oz/680 ml) jar passata (strained tomatoes) (see note 1)
    • 1 cup vegetable broth
    • 2 dried bay leaves
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
    • ¼ teaspoon allspice
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne
    • 3 cups cooked chickpeas (2 cans: 15 oz/14 fl oz/398 ml each)
    • 3 packed cups baby spinach
    • 1 tablespoon cane sugar (or coconut sugar, see note 2)
    • Juice from 1 lemon
    • Black pepper (to taste)
    • ⅔ cup crumbled feta cheese (vegan if desired or omit)
    • Chopped flat leaf parsley (for garnish)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Sauté: Heat olive oil in a large broiler-safe sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat (see note 3). Add onion, sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic and salt, cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
    • Combine and cover: Stir in passata, vegetable broth, bay leaves, oregano, cloves, allspice, and cayenne. Cover the pot with a lid. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes for the flavors to develop.
    • Simmer uncovered: Stir in the chickpeas. Cook uncovered until the liquid has reduced by one-third, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Reduce heat if the mixture starts to splatter, but keep mixture actively simmering).
    • Turn on broiler: Position a oven rack so that the top of the pot will be 4-inches away from the broiler. Turn oven to broil.
    • Finish cooking: Remove bay leaves. Stir in spinach. Cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in sugar and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
    • Broil: Crumble feta overtop. Broil until cheese is golden brown, about 5 minutes (but watch carefully, broil times vary!). Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

    Notes

    1. Passata ("strained tomatoes"): Passata is made from strained uncooked tomatoes. It is usually packaged in tall glass jars. If you need to substitute, use crushed tomatoes (not tomato paste or tomato sauce). 
    2. Sugar: The sugar helps balance out the acidity in the tomatoes. Feel free to omit if you prefer.
    3. Pan: Sauté pans have straight sides; so they typically hold more volume and come with a lid. Use a sauté pan if you have. Otherwise, if using a skillet without a lid, you can position a baking sheet over top as the "lid" when the instructions say to cover. If you don't have a broiler safe pan, you can transfer to a broiler-safe casserole dish for the final step.
    4. Serving suggestion: This dish is delicious served with bread or soft pita for dipping. It can also be spooned over cooked rice for a heartier meal. 
    5. Reheating instructions: Can be reheated in the oven (uncovered) at 275°F (140°C), in the microwave, or on the stove (covered) over medium-low heat until warmed through. Avoid putting cold cast iron cookware in a hot oven—to avoid thermal shock, let the pot come to room temperature while the oven pre-heats.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 1047mg | Potassium: 298mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 194mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did you make this recipe?Let us know by leaving a rating below and tag us @evergreenkitchen on instagram!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Laura says

      March 16, 2023 at 12:38 am

      5 stars
      Can this be made ahead and frozen?

      Reply
      • bri says

        March 17, 2023 at 6:53 pm

        I think that should work! But in that case, I would hold on sprinkling the feta cheese until the dish is reheated. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    2. Kelsey says

      March 14, 2023 at 1:14 am

      5 stars
      Wow this was amazing!! So tasty

      Reply
      • bri says

        March 17, 2023 at 6:52 pm

        So glad you liked this recipe Kelsey! Thanks for taking the time to write in!

        Reply
    3. Teresa says

      March 11, 2023 at 12:07 am

      Can I use kale instead of spinach

      Reply
      • bri says

        March 11, 2023 at 3:42 am

        Hi Teresa - Yes, you could definitely use kale instead of spinach! Let us know how it goes!

        Reply
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