Mini spinach and tomato frittatas
These vegan frittatas are made with chickpea flour, which is gluten-free and a good source of fiber and protein.
Until recently, I had only experienced chickpea flour with deep-fried snacks — Indian pakoras and the Trinidadian fritters called pholourie. An internet search for healthier options revealed that plant-based-food bloggers often use this savory flour, which is gluten-free and a good source of fiber and protein, to make eggless quiches and frittatas, so that’s what inspired this recipe. These mini spinach and tomato frittatas make a fabulous lunch or, made in advance, grab-and-go breakfast.
While many recipes call for the addition of nutritional yeast to add a cheesy flavor or Indian black salt (kala namak) for an eggy flavor, I didn’t include them in this recipe because I felt that they would overwhelm the very Italian flavors of tomato, garlic, and rosemary.
While these are delicious on their own, I highly recommend serving them with some warm spicy marinara sauce or hot sauce for an extra dimension of flavor.
Servings: 12
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing a muffin tin
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced (or 1 teaspoon, if using dried rosemary)
- Pinch of kosher salt, plus salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 3/4 cups chickpea flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Few grinds black pepper
- 2 cups water
Optional, for serving: Hot sauce or 1 cup spicy marinara sauce (made from your favorite marinara, homemade or jarred, warmed with as many red pepper flakes as you’d like)
Directions
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Grease the cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with a thin layer of olive oil applied with a paper towel.
- In a saute pan over medium-high, heat the olive oil.
- When the oil is shimmery, add the onions and a pinch of salt and saute until the onions become translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Then, add the tomatoes, spinach, and rosemary along with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Saute until the spinach has wilted, the tomatoes have softened, and most of the liquid has evaporated. Take the pan off the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly while preparing the batter.
- In a medium mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together the chickpea flour, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and water. This mixture will be runny.
- Add the cooled sautéed vegetables to the batter mixture and stir to distribute.
- Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop equal amounts of the frittata batter into each cup of the muffin pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet to avoid any spills and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the frittata tops are golden.
- Allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan. Serve hot or warm with hot sauce or spicy marinara. Leftovers may be chilled and eaten cold.
Nutrition information (per serving)
- Calories: 80
- Total fat: 3 g
- Saturated fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Total carbohydrate: 10 g
- Dietary fiber: 2 g
- Total sugars: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
Note: The nutrition information above uses 1/16 teaspoon for a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon for the salt added to taste in the batter mixture.