Turmeric Chickpea Skillet Honey (Printable Version)
Protein-rich chickpeas sautéed with veggies, turmeric, and honey for a vibrant, easy-to-make main dish.
# Ingredient List:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
02 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
04 - 1 zucchini, sliced into half-moons
05 - 2 cups baby spinach, loosely packed
→ Legumes
06 - 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
→ Spices & Seasonings
07 - 1 ½ tsp ground turmeric
08 - 1 tsp ground cumin
09 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
10 - ½ tsp ground black pepper
11 - ½ tsp sea salt
12 - Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
→ Glaze
13 - 3 tbsp honey
14 - 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
15 - 1 tbsp olive oil
→ Garnish
16 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
17 - Lemon wedges, for serving
# How to Make It:
01 - Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced red onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened.
02 - Add minced garlic, sliced red bell pepper, and zucchini to the skillet. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender but retain some bite.
03 - Stir in drained chickpeas, ground turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper, sea salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to evenly coat and toast the spices.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together honey and lemon juice. Pour the mixture over the skillet contents, stirring gently to combine and glaze all ingredients.
05 - Add the baby spinach and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until just wilted.
06 - Taste and adjust salt or spice level as needed. Remove the skillet from heat. Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Comes together in 30 minutes, which means weeknight dinner without the scramble.
- The honey-lemon glaze transforms simple chickpeas into something that tastes like you spent hours on it.
- One skillet means one cleanup, and somehow it never feels like a shortcut.
02 -
- Don't skip rinsing the canned chickpeas—the starchy liquid will turn your glaze gluey instead of glossy, and you'll wonder what went wrong.
- Turmeric stains everything it touches, so maybe change out of that white shirt before you start cooking.
03 -
- Toast your spices for just a moment before adding the chickpeas—it wakes them up and deepens everything that comes after.
- The magic is in not overcooking the vegetables; they should still have a whisper of resistance, not collapse into the pan.