Beans On Toast is one of the easiest, yet most satisfying meals! Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) are sautéed in a flavorful marinara and mixed with spinach. Serve over toasted bread, fried bread (our fave!), or couscous -- we'll share all the different serving suggestions to keep this meal exciting every time you prepare it!
ONION & CHICKPEAS: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add in the diced onion and rinsed/drained chickpeas. Cook, stirring frequently until butter begins to brown and onion turns translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
MARINARA: Add the garlic and paprika. Cook, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. Then pour in all of the marinara sauce and stir. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and continue simmering for 8-10 minutes or until marinara begins to thicken nicely. Turn to the lowest heat setting and add in coarsely chopped spinach. Stir through until wilted, about 1 minute. Remove the pot from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning to personal preference; we typically don't add any salt/pepper because Rao's marinara is so well-seasoned!
SERVING OPTION #1: Serve over couscous. Pour 1 cup of water into a small pot. Once boiling, remove the pot from heat. Stir in the uncooked couscous and cover the pot with a lid. After about 2-4 minutes, the liquid should be absorbed; fluff couscous with a fork. Stir in about 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (or season to personal preference). Divide couscous evenly among 4 bowls and divide saucy chickpeas on top. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs if desired. Serve with toasted sourdough bread.
SERVING OPTION #2: Add 1/4 cup (and more as needed) olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cut sourdough bread in half widthwise and add the slices to the pan. Cook in the pan until golden brown and slightly crispy/chewy, flip, and repeat for the other side. Use tongs to transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle on some salt. Repeat with as much bread as you'd like adding more olive oil as needed. Serve chickpeas in a bowl topped with Parmesan and fresh herbs if using. Scoop saucy chickpeas onto the fried bread to eat.
SERVING OPTION #3: Toast sourdough (or bread of choice) in a toaster. Place on a plate and top with saucy chickpeas, Parmesan, and fresh herbs if using. Enjoy immediately!
STORAGE: The beans store really nicely and only get more flavorful as they store in an airtight container in the fridge -- yum!
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Notes
Note 1: We highly recommend Rao’s® marinara sauce which makes all the difference for this recipe! This marinara has a deep, intense flavor, tastes homemade and is thick and hearty. By using Rao's we greatly cut down on ingredients because this marinara has so many additions included (olive oil, onions, garlic, fresh basil, pepper, oregano, etc.).Nutrition information does not include couscous but does include slices of toasted sourdough bread (since we recommend serving it with all of the serving options!).