Baby Spinach and Chickpeas on Garlic Toast

Another nice surprise made from a modified Rose Shulman recipe. The garlic rubbed baguette toast is boffo. (Updated November 2024)

Ingredients:
3 tablespoon olive oil
2 cans of chickpeas, drained
6 oz. baby spinach
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved, about 5 to 6 ounces. (Or same amount of cut up fresh tomatoes)
1 largish yellow onion
3 or 4 cloves minced garlic
3/4 cup vegetable broth or water
1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon cumin seed, pan toasted briefly (or ground cumin if that's what is on hand)
Thick sliced french baguette bread, toasted, rubbed with cut cloves of garlic, and drizzled with olive oil. Or, use your garlic press and make a slurry of olive oil to brush on the bread.
Some fresh lemon slices

Directions:
Toast the cumin seed and then grind it in your mortar and pestle with the salt, pepper and cayenne.
In your large saucepan/pot saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 5 minutes or so, add the tomatoes and simmer a few minutes until the tomatoes dissolve. Add the ground spices, stock or water, and chickpeas. Bring to a boil, turn heat down and simmer for 10 minutes. Add more water or stock if the mix is too dry. It should be slightly soupy. Turn off the heat. Relax. When you are ready,  toast the bread and prepare as above.
Put your toasted bread in your serving  bowls. Turn the heat back on the chickpea mix, add the spinach and stir and cook until just wilted. Serve on the toast, and add some lemon squeezes while eating.