ANNIKA MARGAUX

Food

Cilantro Pesto Chickpeas

A long hug in a bowl

The Dish

01 / 02

This dish was inspired by a trip I took to Portugal. No matter how hard I tried, I ate very few green things while I was there. What held me over was açorda à alentejana, an incredible garlicky bread soup that tastes like a perfectly cooked, nourishing meal made with love. By the time I got home, I wanted that same feeling in a bowl, but I couldn’t bear the thought of looking at bread. My body was begging for vegetables.

So I landed on this one-pot wonder. It sits somewhere between a warm salad and a bean mash, depending on how much broth you add.

I return to it anytime I need to feel grounded and my taste buds still want something gourmet. It’s loved by people with the anti-cilantro gene and by people who claim they need meat at every meal to survive. A win for everyone eating it, and for Mother Nature.

Magic happens when we take care of each other.

Makes about 4 hefty servings.

Cilantro pesto

  • 2 bunches cilantro
  • 2 jalapeños, roughly chopped, seeds out
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • A ton of freshly cracked pepper
  • A couple tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • A splash of water

Chickpeas

  • 10 cloves garlic, minced
  • More olive oil than you think
  • 1 medium zucchini, cut to chickpea size
  • 1 medium yellow squash, cut to chickpea size
  • 2 cans chickpeas
  • ½ to ¾ cup water + 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon (or ½ cup chicken stock)
  • 1 box mild greens, cut into thin strips
  • Salt

To serve

  • 1 cup quinoa + 2 cups water
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • More Parmesan
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Flaky salt

Method

  1. 1.Put the tomatoes in first. Wrap them in foil with olive oil and a pinch of salt, and get them in a 225°F oven for about an hour. That’s how they caramelize. You can leave them in there while you do the rest.
  2. 2.Mince the garlic and add it to a Dutch oven on low with more olive oil than you think. Stir until the cloves have taken on a little color — not brown, because you’re about to add the squash and everything is going to keep cooking.
  3. 3.Put the squash in and stir it every now and then for about ten minutes on medium-low. The garlic is still in the pot and you don’t want that to burn.
  4. 4.While that’s going, make the pesto. You don’t have to pull the cilantro off the stems. If you leave them, it does get a little stringy, but you won’t really notice it once it’s in the pot. I’m just giving you the heads up. Blend everything but the Parmesan, stream in the oil, and if it’s being difficult, add a splash of water. Add the cheese at the end. Please grate it yourself. This is not a pre-shredded Parmesan household, nor should yours be.
  5. 5.Drain the chickpeas — no need to rinse them — and stir them through the vegetables.
  6. 6.Then add the broth. You should honestly keep Better Than Bouillon in your fridge at all times. Stir and let it reduce for around five to seven minutes.
  7. 7.Add the greens. They wilt down pretty quickly, so they’ll take care of themselves.
  8. 8.Add the pesto. Taste it. Salt it if it needs it. Again, restaurant food tastes that way because they’re likely over-salting. So just FYI.
  9. 9.Make the quinoa. It’s one cup of grain to two cups of water on low heat. It usually takes about 15 minutes, then let it sit for five. You can add a little Better Than Bouillon to that pot too if you’re already holding the jar. I sometimes like to use bone broth as well.
  10. 10.When you’re ready to plate, take the tomatoes out and serve it up: quinoa, the chickpeas, tomatoes, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, flaky salt.