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Spanish Chickpea Stew with Spinach

Plenty of garlic, beans and spices make this soup a flavorful weeknight meal.

Course Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword chickpea, soup
Prep Time 1 day
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 1 day 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 270 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried garbanzos (chickpeas)
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 6 large garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 slices sliced bread, crusts removed (Gluten Free bread works well in this recipe.)
  • 2 Tbs pimenton (Spanish sweet smoked paprika)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 pinch saffron (optional)
  • 2 Tbs sherry vinegar or rice vinegar is a good substitute
  • 1/2 lb spinach
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Soak the chickpeas overnight in cold water with a 1/4 tsp of baking soda. The next day, drain and rinse the chickpeas.
  2. In a big sauce pot, combine the chickpeas with 2 1/2 quarts (10.5 cups) of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours. At the end of the 2 hours, the chickpeas should be tender and the water reduced to just barely covering them. Depending on the chickpeas, they could need additional time or additional water.

    Once the beans are tender, turn off the heat and set aside.

  3. In a small sauté pan over medium low heat, brown the garlic with 1/4 cup olive oil - about 3 min. Remove garlic and olive oil from the pan and set aside in a small bowl.

  4. Add the bread slices and brown both sides, about one minute each side. Remove the bread and place in the bowl with garlic.

  5. Mash together the garlic and the bread to make a thick paste. Set aside.

  6. Remove the sauté pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Add the pimenton, cumin and saffron to the pan and then quickly following add the sherry vinegar to prevent the pimenton from burning. Stir to combine. Remove from heat after about 30 sec.

  7. When ready to eat, bring the chickpeas and their liquid back to a low boil and add the spinach. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add both the garlic/bread paste and the pimenton mixture and simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.

Notes

*Using dry beans requires some planning and extra cooking time but yields delicious results. I don't recommend canned here, but if you do, you'll need to add water to make a broth.

*recipe adapted from Chef Jose Andres

Nutrition Facts
Spanish Chickpea Stew with Spinach
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 270
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.