This easy Mediterranean Chickpea Skillet is filled with a rainbow of healthy ingredients. Fresh vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, carrots and squash are sautéed with diced tomatoes and warm spices and finished off with chickpeas and greens. Garnish with feta cheese and fresh parsley for a satisfying plant-based meal.
As we enter spring and summer things get pretty busy in my house.
My kids start baseball and are constantly wanting to be playing outside with friends.
I must admit that makes getting dinner on the table a little harder than in the winter. I also don’t love spending all of my time inside on a beautiful day prepping dinner.
One skillet meals are here to save us all and this Mediterranean Chickpea Skillet is not only easy but a beautiful rainbow of healthy ingredients to feed your family.
There is just something so darn easy about a meal that you can make in one skillet!
Warmer weather calls for all the bright colorful foods and this Mediterranean Chickpea Skillet doesn’t disappoint.
I always have a handful of one skillet meals I keep in my back pocket for those busy nights like this One Pot Chickpea Kale Pasta Recipe, One Pot Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli or this Mexican Zucchini Skillet.
Recipe Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chickpeas: I added a can of chickpea to this recipe. You can use as much or as little when it comes to this. You can also add in white beans which work really nicely.
- Vegetables: This Mediterranean skillet uses zucchini, bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes and squash. There are a lot of vegetables that would work nicely including celery, mushrooms or cauliflower.
- Spices: I used a combination of spices that I really enjoy together. They are similar to the spices in this Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil Soup or this Moroccan Red Lentil Soup. When they are combined they are so warm and rich which is nice with the vegetables and chickpeas.
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice is optional but I find that it helps brighten the dish and pairs well with the spices.
- Greens: I love adding greens into this dish to make it extra healthy. You can use a mixture of kale, spinach, arugula or swiss chard.
For exact ingredient amounts and instructions, see the full recipe card below.
How to Make this Mediterranean Chickpea Skillet
Step 1: Saute Vegetables: In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauce for 2-3 minutes.
Add the shallot and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes or until shallot is fragrant and soft. Add the zucchini, squash, bell pepper, carrot, cumin, turmeric, coriander, paprika, cinnamon and thyme and sauté for another 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
Step 2: Add Remaining Ingredients and Simmer: Add the diced tomatoes, lemon juice, greens and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the chickpeas in to the skillet and stir to mix.
How to Modify this Chickpea Skillet
- Vegetables: The sky is the limit with vegetables in this skillet dish. This recipe is a great way to use up whatever veggies you have in your fridge. You can use anything from broccoli to cauliflower to celery to mushrooms.
- Beans: I added chickpeas to this skillet but you can use any bean you like or even lentils. I especially like white or black beans added in!
- Spices: The spice mixture that I created for this recipe uses warm, rich spices but can easily be modified. Sometimes I will use dried basil, thyme, oregano and parsley to create a more subtle flavor. Another great addition is sumac or za’atar.
- Cheese: I finished this dish off with feta cheese but you can also use goat cheese, mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.
- Protein: This dish is a plant-based recipe but can easily be the base for other proteins like this Grilled Beef Kofta, Baked Turkey Meatballs or Air Fryer Cod.
More Mediterranean Recipes to Try
Mediterranean Chickpea Skillet
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 – 16 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small shallot, finely diced or 1 cup of red onion, finely chopped
- 1 small zucchini, sliced into rounds
- 1 small yellow squash, sliced into rounds
- 1 bell pepper, seeds removed, thinly sliced {I like to mix up and use 1/2 of a yellow and 1/2 of a red}
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
- 1/2 of a lemon, juiced
- 1 cup of greens {kale, spinach or arugula work nicely}
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Green onions, chopped
- Feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauce for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the shallot and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes or until shallot is fragrant and soft.
- Add the zucchini, squash, bell pepper, carrot, cumin, turmeric, coriander, paprika, cinnamon and thyme and sauté for another 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
- Add the diced tomatoes, lemon juice, greens and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add the chickpeas in to the skillet and stir to mix.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve warm with fresh parsley, green onion, feta cheese and a dollop of Greek yogurt.
Notes
- You want to try to chop your vegetables to a similar size so they cook evenly.
- Sometimes the carrots take longer so if you cut those larger you will want to cook them first and then add in the other vegetables.
- You can mix up the spices to your liking! If you like extra spice try adding crushed red pepper or cayenne red pepper.
- This dish works nicely over brown or white rice or on its own.
