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Warm the pre-cooked amaranth in a small saucepan over low heat, adding 50 grams of water and stirring gently every minute or so. Heat for about 5 minutes until the grains are steaming, tender, and carrying a faint toasty, nutty fragrance — they should feel light and separate when fluffed with a fork. Set aside, covered, to keep warm.
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While the amaranth warms, finely mince the garlic cloves, dice the white onion into small even pieces, and cut the carrots and celery into thin matchsticks or a fine dice — uniformity here means everything cooks at the same pace. Roughly chop the fresh spinach and raw amaranth leaves together into a loose, leafy pile and set aside.
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Heat 15 grams of olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat until it shimmers and moves fluidly across the pan, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and onion, stirring frequently, and cook for 4–5 minutes until the onion turns translucent and the edges just begin to blush golden — the kitchen should smell sweetly fragrant and inviting.
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Add the diced carrots and celery to the pan, tossing well to coat in the oil. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to yield at the edges but still hold their shape. Scatter over 1 gram of paprika, 2 grams of cumin seed, a pinch of salt, and a grind of black pepper, then stir constantly for 30 seconds until the spices bloom and fill the pan with a warm, earthy perfume.
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Stir in the cooked chickpeas, chopped raw tomato, the spinach and amaranth leaf mixture, and the fresh thyme sprig. Pour in 100 grams of water and bring the pan to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until the greens have wilted into glossy ribbons, the chickpeas are heated through, and the liquid has reduced to a light, fragrant broth clinging to the vegetables.
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Meanwhile, make the apricot-almond sauce: roughly chop the dried apricots and place them in a small saucepan with 240 grams of unsweetened almond milk. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apricots are plump, softened, and beginning to break down at the edges. Stir in 30 grams of fresh lemon juice and 2 grams of cumin seed — the sauce should smell beguilingly sweet, tart, and warmly spiced.
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Remove the apricot-almond mixture from the heat and blend with an immersion blender for 1–2 minutes until the sauce is smooth and pourable; alternatively, carefully transfer to a standing blender, process, and return to the pan. Season with a pinch of salt and a crack of black pepper, tasting as you go. For a particularly silky finish, pass the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve — though a few golden apricot flecks add lovely rustic character.
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Taste the simmered chickpea and vegetable mixture one final time, adjusting salt and pepper until the flavors feel balanced and bright. Remove the thyme sprig. Divide the warm amaranth evenly among four wide, shallow bowls, forming a soft, inviting mound in the center of each.
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Spoon the warm chickpea and vegetable mixture generously over each amaranth base, letting it tumble naturally across the grains. Ladle the apricot-almond sauce over each bowl in a generous drizzle, allowing it to pool slightly into the grain and mingle with the spiced cooking juices. Finish each bowl with a small nest of fresh alfalfa sprouts and a few crisp, thin apple slices for a bright, cooling crunch.
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Serve the bowls immediately while every element is warm and the aromas are at their most vivid — cumin, thyme, sweet apricot, and earthy grain rising together in a single, cohesive fragrance. A final thread of good olive oil across the top adds a silken, grassy richness if desired. Encourage diners to mix the layers together as they eat, letting every spoonful carry a little of everything.