If you are craving something warm, flavorful and super comforting, look no further! Baked feta with chickpeas is a delightful recipe that is easy to make, healthy, and delicious.

Feta cheese is a tangy, salty cheese with a crumbly texture. Originally from Greece and made with sheep milk (sometimes mixed with goat milk), it has been a staple ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine for centuries. It is generally considered healthy, with high content of protein and lower in fat than other types of cheese. It is, however, high in salt, so keep that in mind if you are trying to reduce your salt consumption.

There’s one thing to keep in mind when replacing Feta cheese in a recipe: while Feta and fresh Mozzarella cheese are arguably the most popular options for salad, they are in no way interchangeable! They have completely different flavor, with Feta being salty and Mozzarella being mild and milky. If you cannot get Feta cheese where you are, in some places a similar option can be found known as “salad cheese”, which has similar texture and flavor.

In case you haven’t noticed, we are huge fans of chickpeas. 🙂 We always keep one or two cans of chickpeas because we use them so often. Chickpeas are a wonderful option if you are trying to eat less meat because they are a great source of proteins and they are packed full of nutrients. Plus, they are super budget-friendly and versatile.

The tomatoes play a big role in the baked feta with chickpeas recipe, so try to use a brand of canned tomatoes that you know and like. Our favorite brand is Mutti, from Italy. It is a tad more expensive than generic brands, but the quality is great and, perhaps most important, consistent. (We aren’t sponsored by the brand, we just like it.)

If you don’t have a cast iron skillet or a pan that can go into the oven, don’t worry! Just keep the stove on and put a lid on the pan after you place the feta cheese and let it cook until it gets soft. Enjoy your baked feta with chickpeas!

Ingredients

1 small red onion
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 can tomatoes
1 can chickpeas
2 oz spinach (can be frozen)
7 oz feta cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp chili flakes
Salt & pepper

Instructions

Finely chop the red onion and the garlic.
Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ (180 ℃) with convection (fan).
In a cast iron skillet or a pan that can go into the oven, add the olive oil and fry the onions until they are soft.
Add the chopped garlic and chili flakes and fry for 30 seconds. Then add the tomatoes, spinach, oregano, basil, salt and pepper, mix well, and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the chickpeas, mix well and turn off the stove.
Cut the feta cheese into 2 or 3 blocks and carefully place them on the sauce.
Put the skillet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is soft. Done!

Notes

The recipe is for 3 servings.
Prep time: 5 minutes.
Cooking time: 30 minutes.
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet or a pan that can go into the oven, don’t worry! Just keep the stove on and put a lid on the pan after you place the feta cheese.
For a full Mediterranean experience, serve with a warm Pita bread on the side.

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