Why this fits a family on a budget
Two cans of chickpeas and pantry spices bring this meal in at just over $1 per serving, making it one of the most budget-friendly options for the week. Everything cooks in a single skillet in under 20 minutes with no advanced technique required.
• 30 oz canned chickpeas
• 14.5 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 large yellow onion
• 4 cloves garlic cloves
• 2 tsp berbere spice blend
• 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
• 0.5 tsp ground ginger
• 0.75 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 0.5 cup water
• 4 pieces pita bread
• 0.25 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 whole lemon
• 2 cups baby kale
1. Dice the yellow onion into small pieces and mince the garlic cloves. Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas under cold water in a colander.
2. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute.
3. Add the diced onion and cook for 4 minutes, stirring every minute, until softened and beginning to turn golden brown around the edges.
4. Add the minced garlic and stir continuously for 30 seconds until fragrant.
5. Sprinkle in the berbere spice blend, turmeric, ginger, and salt. Stir the spices into the onion and garlic mixture for 30 seconds — the mixture will look deep red-orange and very fragrant.
6. Add the drained chickpeas to the skillet and stir to coat every chickpea with the spiced onion mixture, about 1 minute.
7. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and 0.5 cup water. Stir everything together and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
8. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat — you will see small steady bubbles, about 2 minutes. Then reduce heat to medium.
9. Cook uncovered for 8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats the chickpeas. The sauce should be thick enough that a spoon dragged through it leaves a clear trail for 2 seconds.
10. Stir in the baby kale and cook for 1 minute until leaves are wilted and dark green.
11. Remove from heat. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon over the skillet and stir to combine.
12. Warm the pita bread directly on the stovetop burner over low flame for 20 seconds per side, or wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds.
13. Serve the chickpea skillet topped with fresh cilantro and extra lemon wedges alongside the warm pita bread.
Cost is a national-average estimate and varies by store and region.
This recipe was generated by Plento Pasto's AI from a library of family-friendly dishes and reviewed for a real photo before publishing. Cooking times, costs, and nutrition are estimates — use your judgment in the kitchen.