There’s something magical about the way mushrooms transform in a hot skillet, especially when paired with chickpeas and fresh spinach. This spinach mushroom recipe is one dish I make at least once a week for my husband, and it never gets old! It’s a simple, wholesome recipe with Mediterranean flair, loaded with heart-healthy olive oil, garlic, and fiber-rich chickpeas. Whether you call it a chickpea and spinach recipe or sautéed garbanzo beans, this is clean eating at its best.
Love mushrooms? Try my mushroom barley soup, green beans and mushrooms, and vegan panko fried mushrooms, too!
Mushrooms have long had a fascinating place in culinary history, from 19th-century mushrooming clubs to entire cookbooks dedicated to their preparation. In this recipe, mushrooms are the star of the show. Seared until golden and savory, they’re paired with hearty chickpeas and wilted spinach or baby kale for a nutrient-rich dish.
This chickpea, spinach, and mushroom sauté is one of my go-to meals. It’s simple, nourishing, and packed with flavor thanks to garlic, spices, and olive oil. While it may not be the prettiest, it’s a comforting, clean-eating one-pan dish we come back to again and again. Serve it for lunch or dinner, or even as a flavorful side. And don’t skip the sunflower seeds, they add the perfect crunch!
Recipe Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
- Olive Oil – This sautés the veggies and adds rich flavor and healthy fats.
- Mushrooms – I use sliced white mushrooms. Baby Bella or cremini both work well. Or, try more earthy mushrooms like oyster mushrooms or shiitake mushrooms for a slightly different taste.
- Herbs and Spices – Red pepper flakes, dried basil, and paprika add an herbaceous flavor, lots of depth, and a kick of spice.
- Garlic – Use whole garlic cloves to enhance the flavor of the dish, adding a sweet, savory, pungent taste.
- Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) – Use canned chickpeas that are drained and rinsed. Or, cook dry chickpeas before you begin. These add a satisfying texture and a boost of plant-based protein.
- Greens – I typically use baby spinach leaves, but kale works well, too. Both add a pop of green color, vitamins, and nutrients.
- Sunflower Seeds – Technically optional but highly recommended, roasted salted sunflower seeds add good-for-you fats and a satisfying crunch.
How to Make a Sautéed Spinach Mushroom Recipe with Chickpeas
Making this sautéed garbanzo bean dish couldn’t be easier. Everything comes together in one pan with simple steps.
- Sauté. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat, and fry the mushrooms until golden brown.
- Season. Add the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, basil, and paprika. Stir to combine and coat the mushrooms, and continue to cook until fragrant.
- Combine. Stir in the chickpeas, and cook to heat them through. Then, add water, and bring the liquid to a boil. Sprinkle the greens over the chickpeas. It will look like a lot, but it cooks down!
- Wilt. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook until the spinach wilts. Stir it into the chickpea and mushroom mixture, and season to taste.
- Serve. Increase the heat, and cook to evaporate any excess liquid. Then, sprinkle the sunflower seeds on top. I sometimes add an extra dash of red pepper flakes to amp up the heat, too.
Chickpea, Spinach and Mushroom Sauté
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces sliced white mushrooms
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
- 3 1/2 cups soaked and cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed ((1 1/2 cups dry) OR 2 cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans (15 oz. each))
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 cups spinach or baby kale, tightly packed (5 ounces)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons roasted salted sunflower seeds (optional topping)
NOTES
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium until hot, but not smoking. Place the mushroom slices into the pan. Let them fry undisturbed for 3 minutes.
- Stir and continue frying until the mushrooms are golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add the red pepper flakes, basil, and paprika. If spice sensitive, start with just 1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper– you can always add more to taste later. I like it with a kick, so I add 1/2 tsp. Stir seasonings to coat the mushrooms. Add the garlic last. Stir and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the chickpeas until all ingredients are well combined. Let the chickpeas heat up for 2 minutes, stirring as they warm.
- Pour 2 tbsp water into the bean and mushroom mixture and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, place the fresh spinach or baby kale over the top of the chickpeas. It will seem like a lot of greens at first, but they will shrink up as they cook.
- Reduce heat to medium low. Cover the pan and allow spinach to cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until wilted. Stir the spinach into the chickpeas and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I usually use about 1/4 tsp of salt and a large pinch of pepper). Turn heat to medium and let the mixture continue to cook until excess liquid has evaporated.
- Sprinkle with roasted sunflower seeds (optional) and serve. I serve chili pepper flakes on the side for my family so they can spice it more to taste, if desired.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
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FAQs
We often serve this easy recipe as a complete, plant-based meal for brunch or dinner on its own or with a side of sourdough pita bread. It’s also great spooned over saffron rice or quinoa, or portioned into bowls of pasta for a veggie-rich mushroom spinach pasta. Or, enjoy it as a side dish with main courses such as lemon basil grilled chicken or seared salmon.
This recipe is best served right away. However, if needed, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan or microwave until warm when ready to serve.
I swapped the basil and paprika for garam masala and biryani masala just because Indian flavors are my favorite, and it was so so good. I sprinkled fresh cilantro on top to finish. The mushrooms absorbed the spices like a sponge and it was delicious. Would make again! And maybe I’ll do it with the intended spices next time – ha.
Love this recipe, I used masala spice instead of basil and didn’t have any spinach so I added asparagus with the mushrooms in the beginning instead and it was great, I also topped it with a bit of fresh mint, I will have to try with some leafy greens next time!
So delicious! I’m new to cooking, and even newer to vegetarian cooking. My husband and I decided to go vegetarian for health reasons, which was exciting but also kinda scary. My husband loves food, but in general he does not love my food..haha 😛 I was worried that going vegetarian would be miserable for him as I have no idea how to make vegetables taste good. But this recipe gives me hope! It was so simple, quick and tasty.. I’ll be making it a lot more in the future! Thank you!
So glad you like it Rebecca!
Tori, could you include the nutritional information with your recipes (e.g., calories, carbs, fat, fiber, etc.)?
Hi Kathy, I don’t currently offer calorie breakdowns on my recipes. The nutrition calculators available online are not always reliable, and nutrition stats of various ingredients can vary from brand to brand (sodium content, calories, etc.). There are calorie calculators online you can use where you can plug in the specific brands you use. Just Google “calorie calculator” and you should get many results.
This was very tasty and easy! It strikes me that it would be wonderful with some Indian spices. What do you think, and do you have suggestions?
That would probably be nice! Try omitting the dried basil and replacing it with 1/2 tsp garam masala spice, or more to taste. 🙂
Hi Tori,
How do you think this would be if served cold or at room temperature for a Shabbes lunch.
Hi Mary, I’ve never served this one cold but I think it’s probably a lot better warm. It’s less a salad and more of a stew. That said, it might work, I just haven’t eaten it cold before. If you try it let me know what you think!
Oh. My. Goodness. Was this dish good! I just made it tonight for my family and my husband requested this dish once a week and my 6 year old daughter gobbled it up. I added fresh Kale and used pine nuts tonight instead of the sunflower seeds, which I’ll for sure try the next time I make it. I am SO glad I found you! I am from Los Angeles and adore falafel, but moved to a small town in North Carolina 2 years ago and haven’t had a good falafel since. That’s how I found you. I am soaking my dried chickpeas now for Falafel Night tomorrow. I’ll let you know how they turn out. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes as I love Israeli and Lebanese food more than anything and not much of that here in the South. I miss all my Jewish friend’s back home.
So happy you liked it Michelle! Let me know about the falafel, it can be a bit tricky the first time. All else fails, add an egg! 🙂
Hi Tori, so I made the falafel tonight and they were the BEST I ever tasted. Seriously. Your recipe is perfect but I did add the egg right at the get go for assurance it would stick AND I added the baking soda and I love the fluffiness of the center juxtaposed to the crispy crust. Oh my! I’m addicted. Thank you so much. I do have a couple questions: what method do you use to add the falafel to the boiling oil, and do you save your oil for the next time you make falafel? My Lebanese neighbor always saved her oil, curious as to what you do.
I also made your Tahini dressing but I made my own hummus and I make Tabbouleh with quinoa to cut down on gluten in my life. SO delish. Thanks again.
That’s what I like to hear!! Thanks for writing back Michelle!
I’m going to do this for Shabbat dinner tonight. I am going to add asparagus and serve over kasha. I will coat the kasha kernels with egg and toast them and then add organic chicken broth.
I made the chickpea/spinach/mushroom stew – used kale instead of spinach since it came in csa bag. EXCELLENT! And the leftovers were great reheated, a few days later. Just added some fresh chopped spinach & some more sliced mushrooms, covered in a Corningware dish & nuked for a few minutes.
I made this last night for dinner. It is delicious! I am having it for dinner again tonight but I added a bit of cubed baked sweet potato and some chili garlic sauce. Yum! You are right about how wonderfully versatile this is.
So happy you liked it Janna 🙂