Chickpeas with spinach and cod
A balanced dish of sautéed chickpeas and spinach with steamed cod and oven-roasted red pepper. It combines lean white-fish protein with fibre and slowly absorbed carbohydrates from the legumes, making a nutritious and filling lunchtime meal without heavy cooking or rich sauces.
At a glance
- Prep10 min
- Cooking10 min
- Total20 min
- DifficultyEasy
Allergens
- Fish
Who this recipe is for
A complete dish with legumes, vegetables and white fish. It fits a weight-loss plan because it is filling and low in fat.
Ingredients
Step by step
- Wash the spinach and steam it with the cod loin on a rack or in a steamer for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the fish is tender and cooked through.
- Roast the whole red pepper in the oven at 180 ºC until tender, peel it and cut it into strips. You can roast several peppers at once to have some ready.
- Lightly oil a non-stick frying pan with a teaspoon of olive oil and sauté the chickpeas (cooked and drained beforehand) with the cooked spinach, chopped garlic and parsley.
- Serve the sautéed chickpeas and spinach as a base, place the steamed cod loin on top and add the roasted red pepper strips.
Adaptations
How to change it depending on the day. Each change keeps the dish, it does not replace it.
If you are short on time
Use ready-cooked tinned chickpeas, rinsing them under running water first to remove excess salt from the canning liquid.
If you prefer a vegetarian version
Replace the cod with 120 g of marinated firm tofu, griddled with garlic and fresh parsley.
If you do not want to use the oven
Use natural tinned piquillo pepper strips, or sauté pepper strips in a covered pan with a few drops of water.
What it provides
Cod provides high-quality protein and very little fat. Chickpeas provide complex carbohydrates and soluble fibre, which help prolong fullness after a meal. Spinach and red pepper complete the dish with folate, potassium and vitamin C; vitamin C also helps the body absorb plant-based iron from legumes.
The dietitian's tip
Tinned chickpeas are a healthy processed food when their ingredients are limited to legumes, water and salt; rinsing them well under the tap reduces their sodium content. You can roast several peppers at once and keep them in a glass container in the fridge to add to other meals during the week.
This is one of our recipes for weight loss. More ideas with legumes or fish: lentil soup and oven-baked breaded hake.
What a recipe is not
This recipe fits into a plan; it does not replace one. It cures nothing and it is not calculated for one particular person: the quantities are indicative and will need adjusting to your case.
If you have a medical condition, take medication or follow a prescribed diet, check with your doctor or your dietitian before changing anything.
Where this recipe comes from
The main guide
Weight-loss diet: how to lose fat and keep it off
You have tried diets that worked for a month, only for the weight to come back, and now you do not know…
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