Spanish chickpea & spinach stew

Autumn is almost here, the weather is already changing and a new academic year is starting for many people.

I keep very fond memories of my student years, both from my engineering degree and my MBA. As you already know I am passionate about healthy eating and I have always wanted to learn more about nutrition and its impact on a healthy lifestyle.

I feel very excited because a new academic year has started for me too. In a year I will graduate as a Health & Nutrition Coach!
I will for sure reflect my health and nutrition learning in my recipes, and thus all of you will also benefit from my knowledge. I couldn’t be any happier!

The recipe that I share with you today: Spanish chickpeas & spinach stew is a perfect and satisfying meal, original from Andalusia (Spain), that my grandmother loved to prepare. A very rich and nourishing dish that is perfect for lunch or dinner. And what is best, it comes together in less than 30 minutes!

If you try this healthy and flavourful Mediterranean recipe, please let me know, leave a comment and rate it. I would love to know what you come up with.

Spanish chickpeas & spinach stew

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Author: Margarita @ Tasty Mediterraneo

Cuisine: Mediterranean diet

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients

• 500g (2 ½ cup) Organic chickpeas in water
• 500g (2 ¼ cups) Fresh spinach leaves
• 1 Onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 Carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 Boiled egg
• 1 Teaspoon Pimentón de la Vera (Spanish paprika)
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Teaspoon salt (or salt to taste)
• 1 Tablespoon pine nuts
• 1 Garlic clove, peeled and crushed

Instructions

1. Have all the vegetables well washed and prepared as indicated in the ingredients description. Rinse the chickpeas well and drain.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the carrots and a pinch of salt and cook over a low heat, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Add then the onion and continue stirring for 2 more minutes. Add the chickpeas and cover them with water.
3. In the meantime, in a mortar mix the peeled and crushed garlic clove, the salt, the boiled egg yolk, the pine nuts, the Spanish paprika and a couple of tablespoons of chickpeas and pestle until you get a paste. This paste will be a perfect thickener for the stew.
4. Add this paste to the chickpeas and cook it all together at low-medium heat for around 10 minutes. Add then the spinach and cook for 3 more minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and serve hot.

Notes

If you were using dried chickpeas, to cook them: soak the dried chickpeas in warm water for 12 hours with ⅓ teaspoon of baking soda (ideally leave them soaked overnight). Rinse them well and drain. Bring water to a boil in a cooking pot and when the water is boiling add the chickpeas and leave them cooking over low heat for 2 hours until tender.

You could also add a slice of fried bread to the mix in the mortar and pestle it with the rest of ingredients indicated in step 3.

It is very common to cut in small dices the boiled egg white and add it right before serving.

3.5.3228