Chickpeas, Tomatoes & Plenty of Honest Toil

A simple summer dish of slow-cooked tomatoes, jarred chickpeas and plenty of good olive oil.

This blog & recipe is by Despina Siahuli, a London-based chef and recipe developer whose heart belongs to Athens, where she grew up. Discover more of Despina's Honest Toil recipes here.

This is one of those simple dishes that reminds me why the best food doesn't need to be complicated. Sweet summer tomatoes, good olive oil, fragrant herbs, a good jar of chickpeas and a little patience are all it takes to create something deeply comforting.

As the tomatoes slowly soften and mingle with the onions, garlic and herbs, the kitchen fills with one of my favourite smells. Summer cooking in Greece is built around ripe tomatoes and generous pours of olive oil, and the aroma of a slowly simmering tomato saltsa (σάλτσα, meaning "sauce" in Greek) feels like a warm family hug.

Take your time with this recipe and don't rush the tomato sauce. Since we're using good-quality jarred chickpeas, it's the sauce that does all the hard work. Let the tomatoes gently cook down until they're sweet, rich and full of flavour. Of course, you can make it your own – I loved adding a little chilli and a pinch of cumin to one of my first versions for a gentle warmth.

Once the tomato saltsa has started to thicken up, stir in the chickpeas and finish everything in the oven. I find that roasting brings another layer of flavour, allowing the chickpeas to soak up the rich tomato sauce while the edges become beautifully caramelised.

While it's baking, warm some crusty bread and throw together a simple parsley and red onion salad. I also love serving it with a generous spoonful of thick Greek yoghurt. The fresh tanginess balances the sweetness of the roasted tomatoes and makes the whole dish taste even more like a Greek summer.

Serves 4 as a generous side, 2–3 as a main

Ingredients

For the chickpeas and tomatoes

• Honest Toil extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium brown onions (about 150g), peeled and finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 herb bouquet – 1 sprig each of rosemary, thyme and oregano, plus 1 bay leaf (or just one or two dried bay leaves, if you'd rather keep it simple)
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 small dried guindilla pepper or a pinch of chilli flakes, optional
• 1 heaped tbsp double-concentrated tomato purée
• 4 large ripe tomatoes (a mix of Pomodori and San Marzano works well), about 400–500g, coarsely grated
• 1 x 750g jar Bold Bean Queen chickpeas, or another good-quality jarred or cooked chickpeas
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Parsley salad (to serve, optional)

• A generous handful of flat-leaf parsley
• ½ small red onion, very finely sliced
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• Extra virgin olive oil
• A pinch of sweet paprika

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

1. Heat 4–5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large ovenproof pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic and herb bouquet. Cook gently for around 10–15 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are soft, sweet and translucent.
2. If using the dried pepper, add it now. Stir in the tomato purée and sweet paprika, coating the onions well. Cook gently for another 2 minutes, allowing the tomato purée to caramelise slightly and lose its raw edge. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper.
3. Add the grated tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes and onions come together into a slightly thickened sauce.
4. Fold in the chickpeas, adding another drizzle of olive oil and just enough water to barely cover them if the sauce has become very thick. Simmer gently for a couple of minutes.
5. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 20–30 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the chickpeas begin to catch around the edges.

Parsley salad:

Toss together the parsley leaves, sliced red onion, a squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and, if you like, a pinch of sweet paprika.

The freshness of this simple salad cuts beautifully through the rich tomato sauce. Serve the chickpeas with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and warm crusty bread for mopping up every last bit.