Spanish Chickpea & Spinach Stew

Aka Garbanzoles con Espinacas. This was one of my favourite Spanish vegetable dishes. It’s a simple Catalan stew elevated to glorious heights by the addition of a picada at the end. This is a thick, crunchy paste traditionally made with golden fried garlic, almonds, parsley and sometimes bread. It’s used to add depth of flavour and punch up simple dishes. I love what it does to this dish; tickling the tomato sauce and subtly adding creaminess and a note of deep, fried garlic.

This dish is wonderfully good for you, packed with protein, fibre and iron. Oh yeah, and it’s vegan too, as well as using affordable, store-cupboard ingredients and being a total cinch to make. Soaking + cooking your own chickpeas makes this even better (and cheaper), but if not, I highly recommend these plump, beautiful things.

ingredients

serves 4

• 3 tbsp olive oil 

• 25g blanched almonds

• 3 garlic cloves, whole and peeled

• 2 handfuls of parsley, chopped

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 tsp sweet paprika 

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin 

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• 1 x 400g tin tomatoes, rinsed or 4 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar 

• 400g cooked chickpeas

• 450ml vegetable stock or water

• A big pinch of saffron threads

• 150g spinach, washed

instructions

Place a medium pan over a medium heat and warm up the olive oil. Once hot, add the almonds and garlic and gently fry, stirring until they’re golden brown, then scoop into a pestle and mortar or small blender along with a pinch of salt. Grind to a crunchy paste, adding the parsley at the end and crushing until it’s nice and green. Put to one side. 

Add the onion to the pan (there should be enough oil remaining, but add more if necessary) along with a pinch of salt, return to a medium heat and fry for 10 minutes until soft and just colouring. 

Add the paprika, cumin and fennel seeds and and once they’re just warmed through, add the tomatoes, breaking them up with your spoon as they go in. Next add the vinegar.

Fry for another 5 minutes until the sauce is slightly reduced, then add the chickpeas, stock, saffron and another pinch of salt and simmer for another 10 minutes to bring everything together.

Fold the spinach leaves into the pan, stirring until it wilts (you can put a lid on if that’s easier). Take off the heat and stir in the picada. Transfer to bowls and eat with bread and salad.