Mediterranean Chickpea Harissa Frittata
Mediterranean Chickpea Harissa Frittata, a simple one-pan vegetable frittata made with pulses, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, feta cheese, za’atar seasoning, and spicy harissa. A simple savory breakfast or easy cast iron skillet weeknight meal!
This Mediterranean-style frittata is one of our favorites: chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach as the base and topped with feta and spicy harissa sauce. Add a sprinkle of za’atar seasoning (a mixture of oregano, thyme, marjoram, sesame, and sumac) and you have yourself a simple 30-minute meal that’s packed with Mediterranean flavor.
👉 Here are three reasons why this frittata recipe will be your new favorite breakfast dish:
- You can enjoy it for any meal. While frittatas are traditionally enjoyed as a savory breakfast, you can else whip one up when you’re craving “breakfast for dinner”. Serve as a quick weeknight meal or even lunch!
- It’s an easy one-pan meal. No one likes having tons of dishes to clean when you’re done making a delicious meal and this frittata is great because it only takes one pan to make.
- It’s a great way to get your veggies in during the winter months. Cold weather can make fresh veggies hard to come by. This recipe features sun-dried tomatoes and spinach (frozen spinach works great!) which are both fairly easy to find during the winter. You can also sub in any other veggies that you’d like–bell peppers, onions, or tomatoes would be delicious!
Ready to learn how to make a frittata with chickpeas and harissa sauce? Let’s do it!
🥚 Ingredients
This delicious one-pan frittata comes together with the following ingredients:
- Oil: We used a little olive oil to cook the chickpeas and veggies.
- Chickpeas: You’ll need 1 can of chickpeas for this recipe. Before being cooked into the frittata, you will heat them in a skillet with oil to allow them to dry out.
- Sun-dried Tomatoes: 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes add some extra flavor. Make sure not to toss the reserved oil, set it aside to use in other recipes.
- Spinach: Fresh or frozen spinach brings some extra freshness and fiber to this dish.
- Za’atar seasoning: Za’atar spice is a blend of savory dried herbs like oregano, marjoram, sumac, and sesame seeds. You can make it on your own or purchase a pre-made version at most grocery stores.
- Eggs: The key ingredient for frittatas! You’ll need 10 eggs for this dish.
- Harissa sauce: 1-2 tbsp or harissa sauce is all you need to add some heat.
- Salt and pepper: Add a pinch of salt and pepper to finish off the flavor.
- Recommended tools: Cast iron skillet, spatula, knife set, cutting board
🥣 How to make (step-by-step photos)
1️⃣ Step One: Preheat oven + prep veggies in skillet
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F so it’s warm and ready for the frittata.
Meanwhile, heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add olive oil and chickpeas, cooking low and slow to allow chickpeas to release their liquid and begin to dry out a bit.
Note: This step is important because chickpeas are packed in liquid (called aquafaba) and if you don’t dry them out they will release more liquid as they cook and your frittata will be mushy.
When the chickpeas are dry and beginning to brown, add sun-dried tomatoes and a little of their oil. Then add the spinach and za’atar seasoning and cook until the spinach is lightly wilted.
2️⃣ Step Two: Coat the vegetables with eggs
Next, spread out the vegetables in the skillet and pour the whisked eggs over to evenly spread over the top.
Cook a few minutes on the stovetop until the bottom of the eggs begin to set, but don’t move the eggs around with the spatula because we want a frittata here…not scrambled eggs.
3️⃣ Step Three: Add cheese + sauce
When the eggs are about halfway cooked, add the feta cheese and spoon the harissa over the top of the frittata and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and more za’atar.
4️⃣ Step Four: Bake the frittata + serve
Finally, it’s time to bake the frittata. Remove the cast iron skillet from the stovetop and place in the oven. Bake until the top of the frittata is cooked, about five minutes total.
Remove the skillet from the oven and let cool slightly. You can serve straight from the skillet or ease the frittata from the pan to a serving plate and cut to serve.
❓ Recipe questions + quick tips
There are several ways that you can make a vegan u0022frittatau0022 without eggs. There are recipes that use tofu, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, and/or flour to mimic a similar egg-like texture. Note that we did not test our Mediterranean frittata using any substitutes, so if you prefer a vegan frittata, we recommend searching for a different recipe.
The difference between frittatas and quiches is that frittatas are typically cooked on the stovetop, whereas quiches are typically baked in the oven. Quiche also features a savory pie crust, which is baked before adding the egg mixture.
Frittatas are good for you for a few different reasons. First, they are high in protein from the eggs. They also typically contain lots of veggies, which are high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. In our Mediterranean frittata, we added chickpeas, which bring more fiber and plant-based protein. Frittatas are a great dish to incorporate into a healthy diet as they are nutritionally balanced and make for a well-rounded meal.
🍳 How to serve
There are so many different ways that you can serve chickpea harissa frittatas. Here are a few of our favorite ways:
- Make it for breakfast. Frittatas are a delicious savory breakfast option, and you can also prepare them as “breakfast for dinner”! While they are a typical breakfast meal, the flavors of frittatas are tasty any time of day.
- With a side of fresh fruit or salad. Make frittatas more balanced by serving them with some seasonal fruit or some simple greens.
- Experiment with toppings. Add a twist to your frittata by trying out different toppings! They taste great with some cheese on top, salsa, sliced avocado, or some fresh herbs.
🧊 How to store
These chickpea frittatas are perfect for making ahead and storing for quick meals throughout the week. Here’s how to store it for the best quality:
- Refrigerator storage: Store leftovers in a glass food storage container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- Freezer storage: We do not recommend storing frittatas in the freezer.
♻️ Sustainable kitchen tips
The environment is super important to use here at Fork in the Road! If you’re looking to make your home kitchen more eco-friendly, here are some tips and tricks to use when making this recipe:
Save your chickpea liquid. You know the liquid that comes in the can of chickpeas? It’s called aquafaba by foodies and can be used in place of eggs in vegan baking. Save that liquid to make the most out of your canned pulses.
Save the oil from sun-dried tomatoes. Don’t throw out the oil that comes in a jar of sun-fried tomatoes! Save the flavorful oil and use in salad dressings, on top of oil-based pizzas, and for a tasty drizzle on top of eggs or even this frittata.
Use other veggies. Have veggies that are on their last leg and must be used before they go bad? Throw them in a frittata.
👉 More seasonal breakfast recipes
Love this simple frittata recipe? We’ve got you covered with our favorite breakfast recipes for winter:
Mediterranean Chickpea Harissa Frittata
Equipment
- 1 cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 cup chickpeas drained
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes + 1/2 teaspoon reserved oil
- 2 cups spinach fresh or frozen
- ½ teaspoon za’atar seasoning
- 10 whole eggs whisked
- ½ cup feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons harissa sauce
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prep vegetables: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and chickpeas, cooking low and slow until chickpeas release liquid and begin to dry out and brown. Then add sun-dried tomatoes with a bit of their reserved oil, spinach, and za'atar seasoning and cook until spinach is wilted, 2-3 minutes.
- Add eggs: When spinach has wilted, spread the vegetable mixture out evenly in cast iron skillet and then add the whisked eggs, rotating pan to ensure eggs evenly coat the vegetables. Cook over medium heat until the eggs begin to cook about halfway through. Do not move eggs and vegetables around with spatula on pan, let the eggs cook without moving so the frittata sets.
- Add cheese and sauce: When eggs are about halfway cooked through, add the feta cheese and spoon the harissa sauce over the top of the frittata and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove cast iron skillet from the stovetop and place on the center rack in the oven. Bake until the top of the frittata is cooked, about five minutes.
- Bake frittata: Remove from oven, and let cool slightly. To serve, cut into pie slices or squares and remove from pan with a spatula.
Notes
- Recipe notes: don’t heat the pan too high when setting the frittata on the stovetop or the eggs will stick to the pan
- Tools needed: cast iron skillet, spatula, knife set, cutting board
- Prep ahead: this frittata recipe can be prepped ahead and reheated in a pan right before serving
- Leftovers and storage: store leftovers in a glass food storage container in the refrigerator for up to four days
- Nutrition notes: this vegetable and cheese frittata is high in protein, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C and is low in carbohydrates and total calories per serving. Pair it with a side salad with a simple olive-oil based dressing for a complete meal.
Nutrition
UPDATE: This recipe was originally published in February 2019 and was updated for clarity in January 2022.
I love that there’s so much to save on food waste with this recipe. I never knew that chickpea liquid could be used like eggs! Thanks!
Yes! Aquafaba is a trendy vegan egg replacement right now, and it also whips up nicely and makes a foam for baking. We’re still experimenting with it, hopefully we’ll create a guide soon!