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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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      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

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Sandra says

      March 01, 2023 at 12:46 pm

      5 stars
      This was soooo good.

      Reply
      • bri says

        March 11, 2023 at 3:42 am

        Hi Sandra! So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review:)

        Reply
    2. Yolanda Judd says

      February 12, 2023 at 10:29 pm

      I made this and really liked the flavors!
      I did not add sugar.
      It is also very filling!

      Reply
      • bri says

        February 13, 2023 at 2:02 am

        Hi Yolanda! Glad to hear you enjoyed this chickpea casserole:) Thank you so much for writing in to share your review!

        Reply
    3. marie says

      January 16, 2023 at 6:22 am

      5 stars
      Lovely dish. My husband is always "worried" when I make a meatless dinner. He said this has by far been one of his favourites. I served this with toasted sourdough bread. Have already shared this recipe with my daughter, she would love it.

      Reply
      • bri says

        January 17, 2023 at 6:49 am

        Hi Marie - So glad to hear this dish was a hit with your family! The toasted sourdough sounds delicious too. Hope you have a great week ahead!

        Reply
    4. jj says

      January 12, 2023 at 10:45 pm

      Can this be done in just a regular pot on the stove? I don't have a cast iron pot.

      Reply
      • bri says

        January 17, 2023 at 6:48 am

        Hi Jenna! Yes, you could use a regular pot. If the pot isn't oven safe, then just skip the final step of browning the feta in the oven. If you have a small handheld kitchen torch, you could use it to brown the feta. But if not, don't worry about it. The feta still tastes delicious on top, even if it isn't browned! Hope this helps. Let us know how it goes:)

        Reply
    5. Dianne L says

      January 03, 2023 at 8:03 pm

      5 stars
      What a great way to start the year! This recipe was awesome. Will have it on repeat. Excited to try more of your recipes!

      Reply
      • bri says

        January 04, 2023 at 8:23 pm

        Hi Dianne! So glad you enjoyed this one:) Let us know what other recipes you try!

        Reply
    6. Samantha says

      December 31, 2022 at 6:22 am

      5 stars
      The flavors are so good in this dish! Don't be tempted to leave out any spices. I followed the recipe to a T and it was amazing

      Reply
      • bri says

        January 01, 2023 at 1:36 am

        So happy you enjoyed this recipe Samantha! Hope you have a lovely start to the new year:)

        Reply
    7. Xenia Gregorio says

      November 30, 2022 at 1:42 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious, healthy and packed with goodness! Plus easy to make too! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • bri says

        December 06, 2022 at 11:19 pm

        Hi Xenia — Yay, we're so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for sharing!

        Reply
    8. Mara says

      November 11, 2022 at 9:11 pm

      5 stars
      Wow this was such such a flavorful and healthy dinner! Easy to make too and clean-up was easy (just one pot). Definitely making this recipe again. Thank you!

      Reply
      • bri says

        November 29, 2022 at 12:59 am

        Hi Mara! Yay, glad you to hear you enjoyed this recipe! It's one of our go-to's at this time of year:) Wishing you a lovely week ahead!

        Reply
    9. Debbie says

      November 05, 2022 at 10:54 pm

      5 stars
      This is absolutely delicious! The tomato sauce flavour is just divine. During these winter months, a dish like this is much needed! Super easy to make and the ingredients are all very accessible. I served mine over rice but would love to make again and try it with bread as per your suggestion. I'm not vegan or vegetarian but regularly cook these meals so I'm keen to browse the rest of your site for more dinner and cooking inspo!

      Reply
      • bri says

        November 06, 2022 at 9:15 pm

        Hi Debbie! Yay, we're thrilled to hear you loved this recipe! We love serving this chickpea casserole with rice:) Do let us know how it goes with bread. Either way, it's hard to go wrong! Thank you for taking the time to write in. We'd love to hear if you give other recipes a try too. Have a great week ahead!

        Reply
    10. Tara says

      May 27, 2022 at 11:26 pm

      5 stars
      This is absolutely delicious! My entire family loved it, and I'm sure it will become a frequent dish in our home. The flavors are so good, and it was really satisfying. Thank you!

      Reply
      • bri says

        June 10, 2022 at 11:56 pm

        Hi Tara - We're thrilled to hear your entire family loved this chickpea casserole! And extra excited that it'll become a frequent dish in your home:) Thank you for taking the time to write a review, they really make our day! Have a great weekend ahead.

        Reply
    11. Reiney says

      May 26, 2022 at 12:25 am

      5 stars
      This was delicious! We're recently trying to be more vegetable-forward, and this was excellent! It's hearty enough that we didn't miss the meat. The flavors are rich and complex. I added a little marjoram, savory, coriander, and white pepper (just a very tiny bit of each was plenty). I probably doubled the amount of cheese, just because we really like cheese. I didn't see a note about it in the recipe, but I drained the chickpeas before putting them in. We didn't have any leftovers!

      Reply
      • bri says

        June 10, 2022 at 11:49 pm

        Hi Reiney! So happy to hear you enjoyed the flavors in this dish! Thanks for taking the time to write a recipe review, we really appreciate it! Your notes about the cheese made me smile - we often add extra cheese to dishes, because "we really like cheese too". And yes, if using canned chickpeas, draining them is correct! I can update the notes to clarify. Thanks for mentioning!

        Reply
    12. vivian says

      February 18, 2019 at 12:28 pm

      This is delicious, and so comforting on yet another cold and snowy night. It's only February, but I'm done with winter. Not much hope of it getting warmer for a while in Ontario, though, so I'll be making warming recipes like this for weeks and weeks. Thanks for a good recipe!

      Reply
      • Bri says

        February 21, 2019 at 4:44 pm

        We're totally with you on wishing for warmer days! That said, happy to hear you're cozying up with warming recipes like this one. And we're thrilled you enjoy this one:) Thanks for stopping by! Hope to hear from you again soon!

        Reply
    13. lauren says

      February 07, 2019 at 6:36 am

      I love this so much, the flavours are amazing and served on some french bread just tops it off

      Reply
      • Bri says

        February 07, 2019 at 11:53 pm

        Yay that's so great to hear Lauren! So glad you enjoyed this dish. Great call on the french bread - we agree, some good bread almost always tops it off:)

        Reply
    14. Samantha says

      January 29, 2019 at 7:48 am

      I absolutely love this recipe and it is a staple in my home!! Any tips for making it ahead of time and freezing it??

      Reply
      • Bri says

        February 08, 2019 at 12:04 am

        Hey Samantha! So happy to hear this is a staple in your home. We've never frozen this dish before, but imagine you could simply put the tomato & chickpea mixture in a freezer safe container or bag. When you want to eat it, you could reheat it on the stove or in the oven (covered). I'd probably add the spinach just before eating (+ cheese, if you're using). If you try freezing a batch, do let us know how it goes!

        Reply
    15. Anna says

      January 14, 2019 at 7:18 pm

      One of my all time favorites! Thanks for this great recipe!!

      Reply
      • Bri says

        January 14, 2019 at 9:25 pm

        Hi Anna,

        Yesss we love that this is one of your all time favorite recipes! It's a keeper, that's for sure:)

        Have a great rest of your day!
        Bri

        Reply
    Newer Comments »

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