This Slow Cooker Chickpea and Spinach Dish Is Loaded With Vegetarian Protein

Want to put a balanced, healthy meal on the table, without the major headache of cooking up a storm? Good news: A chickpea and spinach recipe can be made using your slow cooker, and takes less than 10 minutes to prep. Plus, if you're vegetarian or just looking to start including more plant-based meals in your diet, this meatless dish will hit the spot. Trust us, thanks to flavor bursts of cumin and garlic; along with the protein power of chickpeas, you won't even miss the meat in this hearty meal.

For starters, pour 3 cups of dried chickpeas into your slow cooker and cover with water until it reaches two inches above the pulses. Then, add a bit of baking soda, cover, then cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

After they've cooked all day long, drain the chickpeas. Then rinse and prep your spinach. Add a bit of olive oil and garlic to the slow cooker, and cook for 30 seconds to a minute, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Note: If your slow cooker bowl can't go on the stove, do this in a separate pan with a lid.

Next, mix in cumin seeds, half the spinach, and ¼ of the vegetable broth. Cover this mixture for about three minutes, until the spinach wilts. Stir in the drained chickpeas, and salt to taste, then remove the slow cooker from heat. Finally, toast the rest of the cumin in a hot, dry pan and sprinkle it on top of your dish.

You can easily store and refrigerate this dish for up to two days, and simply reheat it in a pan for another quick and easy dinner.