A Recipe for Canned Chickpeas

And general happiness.

Since visiting Beirut, I’ve been making a version of fatteh, a Lebanese dish that layers crisp pita bread, chickpeas, and a yogurt sauce.

my version of fatteh taking shape

I spent one of my master’s courses in Beirut back in 2019 and I ate a version of fatteh every day, for either lunch or breakfast. If we were lucky, the pita bread pieces were fried, pretty much like store-bought pita chips (which the recipe calls for).

fatteh photos from my time in Beirut. chickpeas, yogurt sauce, fried pita, toasted pine nuts, etc.

I’m always looking for new recipes to inject greens into because I’m pretty much done with soup season and kale pastas (for now). So this recipe deviates from the traditional Lebanese dish and integrates spinach and herbs into the chickpea mix.

Fatteh with Braised Greens

The key to soft, tender chickpeas is simmering them with a bit of baking soda. Feel free to use either fresh or frozen spinach—just make sure to total 10 oz of whichever you choose. Most frozen bags of spinach are about 10 oz while fresh spinach often come in bags or boxes of 5 oz. You can also take liberties with the types of nuts and spices you use. I didn’t have sumac on hand, but if you do, please sprinkle it generously over your final dish.

Makes 2 servings

Stuff you need

• Medium to large saucepan or pot

• lemon juicer

Ingredients

• ½ cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or pine nuts

• ¼ cup olive oil

• 6-8 cloves garlic, peeled, OR 2 teaspoons garlic paste

• ½ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes

• 10 oz spinach (thawed from frozen or fresh)

• 1 large bunch fresh dill, parsley, or cilantro

• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained

• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1-2 lemons)

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ cup greek yogurt

• 2 cups or handfuls of pita chips

• kosher salt

• black pepper

Instructions

1. Roughly chop the herbs and (thawed) spinach and set aside for later. Thinly slice or mince all the garlic cloves.

2. Add your chopped nuts of choice to a large and dry pot or saucepan. This will be the pot you use to cook the rest of the recipe as you remove and add elements. Set the heat to medium and stir the nuts around for 2 minutes while the pot warms up.

3. Set a small bowl next to the stove. Add a pinch of salt, 2 cloves worth of sliced garlic, and olive oil to the warm pan of nuts and fry everything together for 4-5 minutes, or until the garlic visibly turns golden. Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic and nuts from the oil. Turn the heat to low and remove the pot from the warm stove onto a cool one.

4. Add the remaining garlic and chili flakes to the oil still in the pot and place it back on the stove over medium heat. Stir for 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic is light golden. Increase the heat to medium and add the drained chickpeas, chopped spinach, herbs, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of salt, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes, or until the greens have wilted.

5. Increase the heat to medium-high and add 2 cups of water and baking soda to the mixture, stirring to distribute amongst the pot. Let the greens braise for 10-15 minutes, which just means it slowly cooks in its liquids while the liquid simultaneously evaporates.

   Make the yogurt sauce while the greens braise: mix the yogurt, ½ teaspoon of salt, the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and ¼ cup of water in a small bowl. Stir until smooth and set aside. BACK to the greens. Taste for salt and season accordingly. Add black pepper if u want! Transfer and spread the greens and chickpeas from the pot onto a plate. Let them cool in the fridge for 5-10 minutes.

6. Assemble it all. From bottom to top, layer the pita chips, greens and chickpeas, yogurt sauce, and garlicky nuts. Serve and enjoy immediately!