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Braised Chickpeas with Chard

Another few-ingredient, scour-the-pantry recipe, coming in hot! Smoked paprika and jarred marinara sauce punch up a simple vegetarian dinner of tomato-y braised chickpeas with chard.

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braised chickpeas in a tomato sauce with chard shown in a ceramic bowl with crusty bread

A Healthy, Hearty Vegetarian Dinner

Canned chickpeas braise in a tomato-y, garlicky sauce making for a quick, nutritious meal that’s built largely out of pantry ingredients. And in these stuck-at-home, grocery store-avoiding days of self-quarantine, that’s exactly what we need, right? Flavorful and healthy, this braised chickpea recipe just might be the answer to your anything-but-pasta-again dinnertime dreams. Bolstered the addition of dark leafy greens—use chard, kale, or even a braising mix—and a sprinkle of smoked paprika, these braised chickpeas just might earn a spot in your post-quarantine rotation, too.

swiss chard, crustly loaf of bread, can of chickpeas, butter, smoked paprika, garlic and a jar of tomato sauce shown.

Five Ingredients Are All You Need to Make A Delicious, Quick Vegan Dinner

So, if you have smoked paprika on-hand, it’ll make this garbanzo bean recipe just a little bit more exciting. But if not, it’ll still be really delicious! The five main ingredients are super-flavorful as it is. All you’ll need to make braised chickpeas is:

  • Chickpeas.
  • Olive oil (or butter works, too!)
  • Fresh garlic
  • Jarred marinara sauce.
  • Swiss chard. Or kale, or spinach, or really any leafy green that you’ve got around. Sometimes at farmers markets you’ll see a “braising mix”, that includes mustard greens, kale, chard and the like—that type of leafy green mixture would work perfectly here.
chickpeas with tomato sauce and swiss chard shown in a large white skillet
braised chickpeas with chard shown in a large white skillet with a wooden spoon

How To Braise Chickpeas (and Call Dinner DONE!)

Braised beans are such a cinch, think of this recipe as a bit of a gateway recipe—get the hang of it, and before you know it, you’ll be braising every bean you’ve got in your house. The gentle, moist heat allows the chickpeas to warm through, but also to soak up the wonderfully satisfying, classic Mediterranean flavors—tomatoes, garlic, olive oil—we braise them with. Serve the finished braised chickpeas with some good crusty bread, and maybe some nice cheese. Here’s how to make this ultra-satisfying, ultra-easy, vegan dinner:

  1. Warm the olive oil (or butter) over medium heat.
  2. Add the chickpeas.
  3. Add the garlic and smoked paprika (if you’ve got it). Stir for a couple minutes.
  4. Pour in the marinara sauce and bring the whole pan to a simmer.
  5. After about ten minutes, stir in your leafy greens and cook until they wilt.
  6. And you’re DONE!
braised chickpeas in tomato sauce with a large wooden spoon

Tools You’ll Need:

braised chickpeas in tomato sauce with chard shown in a ceramic bowl with sourdough bread and a wooden handled spoon.

More Easy Vegetarian Dinners Your Family Will Love:

Plant-based meals—we’re pretty into them right now. And not just because we’re basically eating the entire contents of our pantry. Also because they’re healthy, and can be just as satisfying as their meaty counterparts. Here are four vegetarian recipes we’re eyeing right now:

Into Bean-Braising Now? Welcome to the Club.

We set out to make a recipe that would use just a few pantry ingredients, and while we knew we wanted to come up with something tasty and quarantine-friendly, we didn’t know that it would turn out quite this good. We hope you give this recipe a try, and if you do, let us know how it goes! Snap a photo of your braised chickpeas and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so we can see! Happy eating!

Braised Chickpeas with Chard

  • Serves: 4
  • Prep Time:  5 min
  • Cook Time:  15 min
  • Calories: 279

Ingredients

  • 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (about 1.5 cups)
  • 4 tbsp olive oil (or butter)
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 28-32 oz jar favorite marinara sauce
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
  • 2 cups finely chopped chard or kale

Method

  1. In a large skillet, heat four tablespoons of olive oil or butter over medium heat. Add the drained chickpeas and cook until butter just begins to brown.
  2. Add the garlic and paprika and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  3. Pour in the jarred marinara sauce and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Add the greens and stir until they're just wilted.
  4. Serve warm over crusty bread or crispy potatoes. If you feel like it, top it with your favorite cheese like Parmesan, burrata, sharp cheddar or even brie!

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories279
  • Protein7 g
  • Carbohydrates24 g
  • Total Fat18 g
  • Dietary Fiber6 g
  • Cholesterol0 mg
  • sodium236 mg
  • Total Sugars1 g

Braised Chickpeas with Chard

Questions & Reviews

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  • Sue

    I now have all the ingredients. However, I haven't used chard before. Do I use the stems? They are quite colorful but also seem rather thick so please let me know. Thanks -Sue

    Just use the leaves for this recipe. Hope you enjoy Sue!

  • mary lalonde

    Does it freeze well?

    We haven't tried it but it should work fine!

  • Milgred

    I want to make this but I don’t know how to make bead. do you also have the recipe for the bread on the photo?

    Hi Mildred, you can just buy any crusty loaf of bread that you like from the store!

  • Debbie

    hat size is the can of chickpeas? I think can sizes are not the same in US and Canada, so it would be useful if you could specify.

    A can of chickpeas in the U.S. is about 15 ounces, or roughly 1 1/2 cups.

  • Jennifer Soderstrom

    Quick question: I’ve never cooked with chickpeas before, and am assuming you start with cooked chickpeas. I have dry garbanzo beans in my pantry and am assuming I would sprout and then boil these first?

    Correct. If you aren't using canned chickpeas cook your dry beans first before using them in the recipe.

  • Salma El Beialy

    Looooved this dish! I used spinach instead of chard/kale and it worked well. Also topped it with garlic and dill seasoned feta cheese, it melted into the tomato sauce and it turned into a creamy yumminess with the dill giving the right last touch..

    Thanks Salma, so happy you loved it!

  • Keshia Cameron

    I love this recipe! I use a spicy marinara and rainbow chard just fabulous. Thank you.

    Thanks Keshia! So happy you loved it!

  • Kilian J

    This recipe single handedly made me fall in love with chickpeas. I've made it with both swiss chard and collard greens, and it's not only one of my favorite healthy recipes, but a favorite period.

    Thanks so much Kilian, we are so happy you love it!

  • Mimi A

    Sooooo yummy! And so very easy and quick to make. We loved the chard and it offered a bit of crunch especially from the stems. I added oregano too . We will definitely will add this to our dinner menu rotations.

    Thanks Mimi! We are so glad you loved it! We are so excited you are adding it to your rotation!

  • Charmaine

    Super easy to make and absolutely delicious!

    Thanks Charmaine, happy you love it!