Spinach And Chickpeas (Espinacas Con Garbanzos)
Spanish spinach and chickpeas (espinacas con garbanzos) is a must-try Andalusian dish that's easy to make at home. This traditional spinach and chickpea stew is popular in Seville, Spain where it's served in all the local tapas bars. It's super simple, and takes only 30 minutes to make!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 18 ounces canned garbanzo beans chickpeas or dried, soaked garbanzos
- 10 ounces fresh spinach
- 2 thick slices of day old bread, crusts removed and cubed
- 15 Marcona almonds, blanched and unsalted
- ¼ cup tomato sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ground cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika or pimentón picante (hot paprika)
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the spinach (in batches if necessary) and stir until wilted.
- Dump the wilted spinach into a colander and set aside to drain and cool.
- Add a little more olive oil to the pan and place over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and raw almonds, and stir until the bread is crispy on all sides and the almonds are toasted.
- Add the minced garlic, cumin, cayenne, and black pepper to the bread and almonds and sauté for a couple of minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and browned.
- Place the bread mixture and sherry vinegar in a blender or food processor and blend until you have a thick paste. You can add a few tablespoons of water if needed, but don’t add too much and make it gooey.
- Pour the bread paste into the skillet, and add the garbanzo beans and tomato sauce. Stir gently until the chickpeas are fully coated in the sauce. Add a bit of water to thin the sauce if needed.
- Add the spinach and stir gently until it is evenly incorporated and heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve hot in small dishes with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of smoked Spanish paprika on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Good quality canned chickpeas that aren’t mushy or soaked and cooked dried chickpeas will work equally well in this recipe.
- Use either Spanish smoked pimentón dulce (sweet paprika) or pimentón picante (spicy paprika) to add flavor to this dish.
- This stew will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge, or up to 2 months in the freezer. Since this is a tomato-based soup, the flavor of the dish will improve the next day.
