Spicy Tomato Chickpeas with Quinoa will be your new favorite vegan meal prep recipe! It uses pantry staples and takes just 30 minutes to make start to finish. Perfect for quick lunches and dinners throughout the week. Healthy, easy, and budget friendly too!
Chickpeas or garbanzo beans are a great vegan protein option! Quinoa is also a great protein source, so using them both in this healthy meal prep recipe packs an extra protein punch!
Chickpeas are also affordable! I always keep a few cans in my pantry. A similar recipe but with different spices is this Moroccan Chickpea Bowls recipe.
Jump to:
- Ingredients You'll Need for this Vegan Meal Prep Recipe:
- How to make Spicy Tomato Chickpeas:
- Leftovers? How long do these spicy chickpeas keep?
- Can this chickpea recipe be frozen?
- How spicy is it? Can I adjust the spice level?
- What type of tomatoes are used?
- Can I use dry chickpeas instead of canned chickpeas?
- Other Chickpea Recipes
- Recipe
- Reviews
Ingredients You'll Need for this Vegan Meal Prep Recipe:
- Onion and Garlic
- Diced Tomatoes - I prefer fire-roasted, but regular is great too!
- Tomato paste - Its adds extra depth of tomato flavor.
- Chickpeas - Canned is great!
- Quinoa
- Spinach or Arugula - optional for serving
- Broth - or water to cook the quinoa
- Spices - Cumin, Dried Parsley, and Red Pepper Flakes
How to make Spicy Tomato Chickpeas:
- First, start by sautéing the onion and then garlic. Add the spices and tomato paste.
- Then, add the canned tomatoes and chickpeas. Bring to a simmer and cook.
- Meanwhile, cook up some quinoa.
- Once the chickpeas and quinoa is finished, serve or dish up in meal prep containers with some greens.
- Enjoy!
Leftovers? How long do these spicy chickpeas keep?
This vegan recipe is awesome for meal prep because it keeps well in the fridge and reheats well.
The leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. The bowls can be eaten cold or reheated in the microwave.
Can this chickpea recipe be frozen?
Yes! You will want to freeze it without the fresh spinach or arugula.
The tomato chickpeas and cooked quinoa can be frozen for 3 months. It's a great recipe to stock your freezer with healthy meals.
How spicy is it? Can I adjust the spice level?
As written, I consider the chickpeas a mild-medium spice level, but it is extremely customizable.
The spice comes from the red pepper flakes, so you could add more, less, or even omit entirely if spice isn't your thing!
What type of tomatoes are used?
Canned tomatoes are perfect for this recipe! So grab a couple from your pantry.
I love using fire-roasted diced tomatoes, but you can use regular diced tomatoes if that what you have. Petite diced tomatoes are another great option!
Can I use dry chickpeas instead of canned chickpeas?
Absolutely! But you'll need to soak and cook them first. Here is a great guide on how to cook dried chickpeas.
Once the chickpeas are cooked, you can use them in the recipe as directed.
Other Chickpea Recipes
- Chickpea Tikka Masala
- Easy Homemade Hummus
- Chickpea and Potato Curry - from Little Sunny Kitchen
- Roasted Chickpea Salad - from This Healthy Table
- Greek Chickpea Salad
- Lemon Chickpea & Quinoa Mason Jar Salads
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PrintRecipe
Spicy Tomato Chickpeas with Quinoa
Spicy Tomato Chickpeas with Quinoa will be your new favorite vegan meal prep recipe! It uses pantry staples and takes just 30 minutes to make start to finish. Perfect for quick lunches and dinners throughout the week. Healthy, easy, and budget friendly too!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings
- Category: Main Dish, Meatless Monday
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Quinoa
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 2 cups water or vegetable broth
Spicy Tomato Chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, small diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 14oz cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, can substitute regular diced tomatoes
- 2 15oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- ½-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, depending on spice preference
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- spinach or arugula, optional for serving
Instructions
- Cook the Quinoa. Cook the quinoa according to package directions. In a small pot, bring the rinsed quinoa and water (or broth) to a boil on medium-high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer covered for about 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
- Start the Spicy Chickpeas. While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the tomato chickpeas. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. When shimmering, but not smoking, add the diced onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes until translucent and slightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds - 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant and softened.
- Finish the Spicy Chickpeas. Add the remaining ingredients to the onions. Stir together well and simmer for 10 minutes on low-medium heat, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken up a bit. Adjust the red pepper flakes for spice level.
- Assemble the Bowls. Assemble the bowls with the quinoa, chickpeas, and spinach/arugula if using. Enjoy!
Notes
Tomato Paste - Whenever I open a can of tomato paste, I freeze it in 1 tablespoon dollops on a baking sheet then toss in a ziptop bag. Then when the need arises I just grab a frozen chunk and toss it in. No more waste.
Leftovers - Leftovers can be store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅕ of recipe
- Calories: 362
- Sugar: 7.8 g
- Sodium: 1282.2 mg
- Fat: 8.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 59.4 g
- Fiber: 12.1 g
- Protein: 15.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sarah S says
This is one of my family’s favorite recipes! We often sub rice for quinoa, sometimes we change the spices up. We love to garnish with yogurt and mint, or nutritional yeast, or if my hubby has the reigns, top it with Cheetos lol. Thank you for this easy, delicious, healthy recipe!
Kathleen says
I’m so glad to hear this, Sarah! Your variations sound lovely! I can’t say I’ve tried the Cheetos addition but maybe I need to ha 🙂
Tori says
Absolutely delicious!! I am such a picky eater and not a vegan but I LOVE this recipe!!! It is so flavorful and it reheats well too. This is definitely a recipe that everyone will love.
Kathleen says
Thank you so much for your kind comment! I’m so so glad that you love it 🙂
Tammy says
Do you have the nutritional counts for this meal?
Thank you I can’t wait to try it.
Kathleen says
Hi Tammy! Glad you're excited to try it. If you make 5 servings out of this, each serving is about 330 calories, 13g of protein, and 10.5g of fiber. This is not counting if you serve it with greens. Hope you like it!
Jessica says
This recipe tastes great...it's a little more watery than I would have liked. Any suggestions on making the sauce thicker? I didn't know if I could add more tomato paste. Thanks again...looking forward to having it for lunches this week!
Kathleen says
Hi Jessica! The easiest way to make it thicker is to let it simmer a little longer. Take the cover off as well and it should thicken up nicely. Enjoy!!
Marissa says
Made this for dinner tonight and it was so delicious! Thank you for the hearty and healthy recipe! Will definitely make again.
Kathleen says
Yay! So so glad you liked it! Happy New Year!
Elexxus says
Is the 2 cups of water or broth for the quinoa?
Kathleen says
Yes!
Kelly says
Can this be frozen?
Kathleen says
Hi Kelly! I have not tried freezing this recipe, but Chickpeas freeze well so it should work. If you give it a go - I’d love to know how it works for you. Thanks!
Things2Eat says
I make a similar recipe and it freezes amazingly. You can even freeze pre-portioned leftovers with the quinoa for emergency lunches.
Kathleen says
I haven’t personally tried freezing it, but it should freeze well! Glad to hear you’ve had success with a similar recipe. You’re totally right, this is an awesome emergency lunch recipe. Have an awesome Friday!