It’s getting late, and dinner needs to come together without a shopping trip or a sink full of dishes. This chickpea and tomato skillet is a good answer: it uses pantry staples, cooks in one pan, and leaves room to use whatever greens you have.
Start with a quick base
Warm a little olive oil in a skillet and cook chopped onion until it softens, about five minutes. Stir in minced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like a little heat, then add a can of drained chickpeas and a can of crushed tomatoes.
Let the mixture simmer for about ten minutes, stirring now and then so nothing sticks. If it looks too thick, add a splash of water; if it looks thin, give it a few more minutes uncovered.
Finish with something green
Stir in a few handfuls of baby spinach and cook until just wilted. Chopped kale works too, but give it a few extra minutes to soften; frozen spinach is handy when you squeeze out its extra water first.
Taste before serving and adjust with salt, black pepper, or a small squeeze of lemon. A little brightness at the end helps balance the sweetness of the tomatoes.
Make it a full meal
Spoon the chickpeas over rice, tuck them beside a piece of toast, or serve them with warm pita. The skillet is filling on its own, but a spoonful of plain yogurt can cool the pepper flakes and make the bowl feel more complete.
Keep the basic method and change the finish: add cumin with the garlic, use white beans instead of chickpeas, or leave out the greens if the cupboard is bare. The useful part is having a warm, flexible dinner built from ingredients that are easy to keep around.