070 / 75 · Cupboard Rescue Meals

Chickpea and Spinach Peanut Noodles

2 generous bowls · Active 10 min · Total 22 min

Print recipe · PDF

Peanut butter turns a few cupboard ingredients into a cohesive noodle sauce. Chickpeas provide bite, spinach wilts into the pan, and lime keeps the finish lively. This is particularly useful when a bag of spinach is nearing its end: the leaves become part of the meal rather than a garnish that needs another container.

Jump to ingredients

Chickpea and spinach noodles in a creamy peanut sauce.

Loosen before you coat

Peanut butter may seize into a stiff paste when the first liquid touches it. Keep stirring and gradually add hot water; it will become smooth. Mix the sauce in a bowl before it meets the noodles so there are no stubborn peanut-butter pockets. Different brands have different salt and sugar levels, so begin with the measured soy sauce and taste before adding anything else. The sauce should pour slowly, not stand in a mound.

Choose noodles for the job

Thin wheat noodles tangle around chickpeas and hold the sauce well. Rice noodles also work, but follow their packet rather than boiling them for the wheat-noodle time. When reheating, add water in small amounts and loosen the outside of the portion before stirring the center. The noodles absorb liquid as they stand; a dried-out lunch is usually a sauce-consistency problem, not a reason to add more oil.

Ingredients

  • 5 oz dried wheat noodles (140 g)
  • 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter (48 g)
  • 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce (15 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice (15 ml)
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar (4 g)
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (5 ml)
  • 1/3 cup hot water (80 ml), plus more as needed
  • 1 can chickpeas, 15 oz (425 g), drained and rinsed
  • 4 oz baby spinach (115 g)
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Set out

Saucepan, Large skillet, Heatproof mixing bowl

Allergens

Wheat, Peanut, Soy, Sesame. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Cook noodles according to packet directions, drain and set aside.
  2. Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, lime, sugar and sesame oil in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the hot water until pourable.
  3. Put chickpeas and 2 tablespoons water in the skillet over medium heat. Cover and warm for 3 minutes. Add spinach, cover for 1 minute, then stir until wilted.
  4. Add noodles and peanut sauce. Toss over low heat for 1–2 minutes, adding a spoonful of water if needed. Scatter with scallions and serve.

Sauce for a later break

If cooking ahead, leave the sauce slightly loose and pack a tablespoon of water alongside the portion. Add it before reheating rather than trying to stir cold, tightly stuck noodles.

A useful detail

Keep the heat low after adding the peanut sauce; vigorous boiling can make it stick.

Another way

  • Replace chickpeas with 1 1/2 cups (225 g) shelled cooked edamame; this adds soy.
  • Use lemon juice in place of lime.

Keep it well

Cool promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C, at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 3 days. Reheat to 165°F/74°C with a little water. Carry chilled with two cold sources in an insulated bag.