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Warm Chickpea, Cauliflower and Spinach Breakfast Bowl with Lemon

Chickpeas and cauliflower fried golden with cumin and smoked paprika, tossed with red pepper, red onion and spinach and finished with lemon. A savoury vegan breakfast with 14g of protein, ready in 25 minutes.

Breakfast

25

Serves 2

A black bowl of warm chickpeas with golden cauliflower, red pepper, red onion, wilted spinach and herbs, topped with a lemon slice and a fork

Ingredients

  • 1 x 400g (14oz) tin chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry (about 240g/8½oz drained)
  • Half a small cauliflower (about 250g/9oz), in small florets
  • 1 small red pepper (bell pepper, about 120g/4oz once deseeded), diced
  • Half a red onion (about 80g/3oz), sliced
  • 80g/3oz baby spinach
  • 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp (20ml) olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin, half a tsp smoked paprika, a pinch of salt and black pepper
  • Juice of half a lemon (about 20ml), plus 2 lemon slices to serve
  • A small handful of flat-leaf parsley (about 10g), chopped

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower in one layer and cook for 6 minutes, turning now and then, until browned in places.
  2. Add the chickpeas, pepper and onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until the chickpeas are crisp at the edges and the cauliflower is just tender. Add a splash of water and cover for 1 minute if the cauliflower needs more time.
  3. Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper for 30 seconds, then add the spinach and stir until it wilts.
  4. Take off the heat, squeeze over the lemon juice and scatter over the parsley. Serve in bowls with a lemon slice.
  5. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days; reheat until steaming hot or eat cold as a salad. Not suitable for freezing.

Why it works

A bowl gives you about 14g of protein and 14g of fibre for 335 calories, mostly from the chickpeas.

A savoury breakfast without eggs. Pan-fried chickpeas turn crisp at the edges and filling, which makes them a good egg-free base for a cooked breakfast. Patting them dry first helps them brown instead of steam.

Vegetables before lunch. Cauliflower, red pepper, onion and spinach make this a breakfast that counts towards your daily vegetables.

Why it is tagged for blood sugar. With 31g of carbohydrate and plenty of fibre and protein from the chickpeas, this breakfast is unlikely to cause a sharp rise in blood sugar.

Free from gluten, dairy, soya, eggs and nuts. For another savoury vegan breakfast, try the vegan chickpea flour quiche.