Chickpea Stew Will Delight Vegetarians

Choosing a vegetarian cookbook isn’t an easy task bookstore shelves are lined with them.

Among the best bets are any books by Deborah Madison, co-founder and former chef of the Greens restaurant in San Francisco. Her latest, “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone” (Broadway Books, 1997), with 1,400 recipes, is so comprehensive it may be the only one you’ll ever need.

This recipe can easily be served alongside grilled chicken or fish to make a meal to please vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

Madison recommends serving this dish with a dollop of garlic mayonnaise or extra-virgin olive oil.

Chickpea and Spinach Stew

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 pinches red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon fresh or dried minced rosemary

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 cup peeled, diced tomatoes, fresh or canned

3 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzos), or 2 (15-ounce) cans, rinsed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 bunches spinach, stems removed and washed, but not dried

In a wide saute pan, heat the oil over high heat. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, paprika, rosemary and half of the parsley.

Saute for 2 minutes, then lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, about 12 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chickpeas, season with salt and pepper, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook spinach in the water clinging to its leaves until tender. Add the spinach to the chickpeas, taste for salt, and season with pepper. Garnish with the remaining parsley.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 273 calories, 13.5 grams protein, 42 grams carbohydrate, 11 grams fat (36 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 968 milligrams sodium.