My chickpeas and spinach with feta on toast make a great lunchtime dish or light dinner. It’s quick to pull together but packs a flavourful punch. Toasted sourdough, rubbed with garlic, topped with zesty whipped feta, finished off with a mix of smoky, spiced, chickpea and spinach. This is a recipe you will make time and again throughout the Spring and Summer.
Lighter lunches for Springtime
As the days get lighter and the warmth of Spring arrives, lighter meals find their way onto the table. We haven’t said goodbye to soups, far from it, but it’s a welcome change to bring fresh, zesty flavours to our plate.
Chickpeas and spinach with feta on toast is the sort of lunch that strikes a lovely balance. Nourishing without feeling heavy, quick enough to make on a busy day, but interesting enough to feel like you’ve made something special. The creamy, tangy whipped feta pairs beautifully with the warm, smoky chickpeas and wilted spinach, all piled onto crisp sourdough that’s been rubbed with garlic for an extra punch.
It’s simple, seasonal cooking at its best. This is the kind of recipe that will become a regular in your kitchen throughout spring and summer. And you can always mix up the legumes and the greens. Try cannellini beans and courgettes as an alternative.
Chickpeas – feel fuller for longer
Chickpeas are a wonderful ingredient to build a lunchtime meal around. Naturally high in plant-based protein and fibre, they help keep you feeling full and satisfied. They also release energy slowly. Helping to keep blood sugar levels steady, stopping you from reaching for that naughty afternoon snack. Paired with leafy greens, good olive oil and creamy feta, they turn a simple slice of toast into a nourishing, balanced meal that feels both wholesome and deeply satisfying.
Other related recipes
For other similar lunchtime dishes, see the list below for further inspiration:
- Fibre and protein lunchtime bowl your way
- Salad of warm vegetables, lentils and halloumi
- Cumin, carrot and lentil salad
- Courgette and feta fritters (with whipped feta)
Growing Spinach
For Spinach, I’ll be growing ‘Matador’ this year, a fast-growing, smooth-leafed variety. I’ve also had great success with ‘Perpetual Spinach‘ and will have some of that in my patch for sure. Spinach is relatively easy to grow. For a summer crop, it’s best sown in early spring in well-drained soil. Spinach likes a position in the garden with partial sun. You can usually have success planting spinach in the autumn and ‘over winter’ it ready for early Spring, as long as you’re not hit with a very harsh Winter.
Courgette also works well in this dish, complementing the salty/zesty feta and the smokiness of the chickpeas. The courgette will need more cooking than the spinach. Allow 3-4 minutes for the courgette to soften slightly but still retain some bite.
Yes! Try my courgette and feta fritters which I serve together with whipped feta.
Absolutely, it would be great with butter beans or cannellini beans as well. Just use a can of the beans in the same way as the chickpeas.
Chickpeas and Spinach with Whipped Feta on Toast
Equipment
- small blender
- medium non-stick frying pan with lid
Ingredients
- 100 g feta cheese
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus extra to drizzle
- 2 slices sourdough thick slices are best
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 can chickpeas or 250g of dried cooked chickpeas
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 100 g baby spinach or spinach sliced
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
Instructions
- Crumble the feta cheese into a small blender and add in the lemon zest, Greek yoghurt, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil (reserve the rest for the chickpeas). Blend until smooth and set aside,
- Toast the 2 pieces of sourdough. Cut the garlic in half and rub each slice of toast with the cut side of the garlic halves. Once you've done this, grate the garlic.
- In a medium frying pan or casserole dish, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over a medium heat. Add the chickpeas and stir every now and then for 3-4 minutes. Add in the garlic, smoked paprika and ground cumin. Stir well and cook for another 2 minutes. Add your washed spinach to the pan (it's good if it has a little water on the leaves and you want a little moisture) and pour in the tablespoon of sherry vinegar. Pop on the lid and leave for a couple of minutes.
- Put your sourdough toast (that's been rubbed with garlic) onto 2 serving plates and spread on the whipped feta cheese.
- Give the spinach and chickpea dish a few stirs, and when the spinach is wilted, spoon it on top of the whipped feta and toast. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve.
Notes
- Instead of spinach, courgette also works well in this dish, complementing the salty/zesty feta and the smokiness of the chickpeas. The courgette will need more cooking than the spinach. Allow 3-4 minutes for the courgette to soften slightly but still retain some bite.
- If you love whipped feta, like I do, then you should also try my courgette and feta fritters which I serve together with whipped feta.
- Try this dish with other beans and legumes. It would be great with butter beans or cannellini beans as well. Just use a can of the beans in the same way as the chickpeas.
