Friday, July 31, 2026

Sautéed Spinach and Chickpeas with Garlicky Yogurt #recipe from Molly MacRae

 


At my house, we love spinach, chickpeas, garlic, and yogurt so this dish is perfect for us. It’s also nutritious and easy to make. The trick of par-cooking the spinach in the microwave, then pressing it to get rid of excess liquid, keeps it from turning to mush in the skillet.

 

Sautéed Spinach and Chickpeas with Garlicky Yogurt

Adapted from The Complete Diabetes Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen

 

You’ll find a free, downloadable, printable pdf of the recipe below the cooking directions.

 

Ingredients

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

5 garlic cloves (4 sliced thin, 1 minced)

18 ounces (18 cups) baby spinach

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced thin

Salt and pepper

 

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, mint, and minced garlic. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Microwave the spinach and 1/4 cup water in a covered casserole dish or bowl until the spinach is wilted and reduced in volume by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the microwave and keep covered for 1 minute. 


Carefully transfer the spinach to a colander and, using the back of a rubber spatula, gently press the spinach to release excess liquid. Transfer the spinach to a cutting board and chop coarsely. Return the spinach to the colander and press again.

In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium until shimmering. Add the sliced garlic and sauté, stirring constantly, until the garlic is light golden brown. Stir in the coriander, turmeric, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

Stir in the chickpeas, tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the water evaporates and the tomatoes are softened, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in the spinach and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until the spinach is uniformly wilted and glossy green, about 2 minutes. Transfer the spinach mixture to a serving bowl, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil, and season with pepper to taste. Serve with the chilled yogurt sauce.



click here for a free, downloadable, printable pdf of this recipe

 


 

Available now! 

All Shell Breaks Loose

book 3 in the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries!

 

On North Carolina’s Ocracoke Island, Maureen Nash sells exquisite seashells to locals and tourists—with Bonny the shop cat and the ghost of a Welsh pirate for company. And when needed, she steps in to help the police solve a murder . . .

Dr. Irving Allred is boasting around town that he’s about to get his hands on an authentic haunted sword. But minutes after Maureen hears the story, a woman walks into the Moon Shell, sword in hand. She found it while walking her bulldog on the beach—and its blade is stained with what looks like blood. Looks like it’s time to call the sheriff’s department.

Allred is furious that his prize is now in police custody—and even more agitated that an unknown buyer was trying to outbid him. He’s convinced the sword will lead him straight to the ghosts he’s been hunting. He’s not the only one on the Outer Banks who’s been searching for spirits, though. An odd visitor also showed up at Maureen’s shop claiming the ability to sense them . . . though somehow she didn’t seem to notice Maureen’s spectral friend hanging about.

When a man who’d been camping nearby is found cut down along the shore, Maureen starts providing some unofficial assistance to Captain Rob Tate by digging into the island’s maritime history. But it’s not the only mystery she’s facing—because the shop’s resident ghost is seeing ghosts himself . . .

 






 

Happy reading!

 

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries, the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries, and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Instagram or Bluesky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for the Sautéed Spinach and Chickpeas with Garlicky Yogurt recipe! It has everything we love and I know hubby is going to want seconds.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  2. This looks delicious, Molly! Great tip about microwaving and pressing the spinach. I'll definitely be trying this one.

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  3. What a delicious combination of flavors, Molly! And I appreciate the tip about microwaving the spinach first. I love cooked spinach but hate how mushy it can so easily get.

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    1. The recipe is worth it for the spinach tip alone. Bonus that the whole dish is tasty.

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  4. Thank you for sharing the recipe! I wish, I could grow spinach. I muich prefer it over lettuce.

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    1. You're welcome, John! I wish we could grow spinach, too. Once upon a time we had a sunny meadow where we grew lots of spinach and lots of other things, too.

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  5. This looks delicious, Molly! I've never made anything like this but I do love spinach. I'm going to have to try it. Thank you for the recipe!

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  6. This sounds delicious! I love all of the ingredients and am always looking for simple meatless meals. Thank you for sharing the recipe

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  7. That's a good trick to know to keep the spinach from turning into mush! aprilbluetx at yahoo dot com

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