Coconut braised chickpeas w/ spinach and sun-dried tomatoes - the most savory one-pot meal, ever!!

One-pot meals are great for their versatility, convenience, comfort, and nutrition. This one-pot meal recipe that I'm sharing with you today is one that I learned from my professional plant-based cooking course with Rouxbe and has instantly become my favorite one of all! I enjoy it so much that I make it on a weekly basis. It’s infused with so much flavor from the onions, fresh ginger & garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice, and lemon zest which smells incredible and adds a nice tanginess to the creamy coconut milk. The fresh spinach pairs nicely with the chickpeas, giving an overall satisfying mouthfeel to this dish. I love serving this over a bed of rice pilaf as it makes it yummy to the max!

If you're new to plant-based cooking or are simply looking to add more to your plant-based repertoire, this is a great dish to start out with. :)

First, prepare your mise en place (which is just a fancy French culinary phrase for "putting in place" or "everything in its place") with the following ingredients:

1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fresh ginger
1 whole lemon
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one 15 oz can)
1/2 tsp chili flakes (or to taste)
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 lb fresh spinach
1 - 14 oz can coconut milk
1 tsp ground ginger
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 bunch cilantro (for garnish)

Step One:

Start by dicing the onion and mincing the garlic and ginger. Next, zest the lemon and then juice it; save the lemon juice for later. Measure out the sun-dried tomatoes and julienne (cut into long strips).
*Note: If using sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, make sure to drain them first.

Lastly, drain (if using canned) and measure out the chickpeas then rinse. Gather the chili flakes and coconut oil.
*Note: If desired, omit the oil and dry-sauté the onions with a bit of vegetable stock or water.

To cook the dish, heat a large Dutch oven or deep sauté pan over medium heat and then add the oil or vegetable stock, followed by the onions and a good pinch of salt. Let the onions sweat (cook at the lowest temperature possible) for about 10 minutes or until translucent (a bit of color is fine). Once soft and translucent, add the garlic and ginger and let cook for another minute or so. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest and chili flakes. Let cook for another minute or so.

Next, add the chickpeas and stir to coat in the tomato mixture. At this point, turn up the heat slightly and sort of fry the chickpeas a bit. Keep an eye on them though so they don't scorch. You just want them to have a a tad bit of color. This should only take a few minutes.

Step Two:

Once the chickpeas are heated through, turn the heat down slightly and start to add the spinach, a handful at a time.
*Note: If using baby spinach you can add it as is. If you are using regular spinach, you will need to chop or tear it up a bit.

Once the first bunch of spinach has started to wilt, add in the next handful. Continue until all of the spinach has been added.

Step Three:

To finish the dish, add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Stir to combine and then add the ground ginger and a bit of the reserved lemon juice. Taste for seasoning. Add more lemon juice, salt and/or pepper as needed.

Once everything has heated through, serve immediately. The spinach will start to lose its color and it won't look as nice. Serve it with brown rice or any grain of your choice. Garnish each plate with a healthy serving of fresh cilantro and enjoy!

You can add additional spices to this dish. For instance, if you are in the mood for curry flavors, try adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of curry powder or a nice masala mix. When adding spices, add them after the ginger and garlic. For added texture, you could also add ingredients such as water chestnuts or nuts at the end. Feel free to experiment to see what delicious combinations you come up with!