Nº 90 · Vegetarian · serves 4
Seville-Style Chickpeas with Spinach
In Spain: Espinacas con garbanzos
Seville's best-known tapa as a hearty stew: chickpeas and spinach in a sauce of fried bread, garlic and gentle cumin.
Ingredients serves 4
Tick off what you already have at home.
Any supermarket
Aisle: frutería. Usually in bags as 'espinaca baby'; at the market also in bunches.
Any supermarket
Aisle: frutería. Loose or in nets; purple garlic (ajo morado) is often the most aromatic.
Any supermarket
Aisle: panadería. Buy a 'barra' or 'pan de pueblo' a day ahead; bread dries out quickly here.
MercadonaMASEl Corte Inglés
Aisle: aceites. Check for 'virgen extra' on the label; local Málaga mills often appear in regional chains like MAS.
Any supermarket
Aisle: especias. Arab shops and market stalls sell cumin loose, often fresher and cheaper.
Any supermarket
Aisle: especias. Plain pimentón dulce is unsmoked; the smoked one says 'de la Vera'.
Any supermarket
Aisle: aceites y vinagres. An Andalusian product, widely sold and good; 'Reserva' has more depth.
Any supermarket
Aisle: caldos y sopas. Stock comes in cartons near the soups; compare salt levels.
To serve
Method
- 1
Fry the bread and garlic cloves in olive oil until golden. Chop or pound them with the cumin, paprika and vinegar into a coarse paste: the majado.
- 2
Soften the onion in the same pan for 5 minutes. Put the onion, majado, passata, stock and chickpeas in the slow cooker and stir well.
- 3
Cook for 4–5 hours on LOW or 2–3 hours on HIGH. The bread thickens the sauce by itself into a silky stew.
- 4
Stir in the spinach in batches for the last 15 minutes; it wilts quickly. Defrost frozen spinach first and squeeze it out well.
- 5
Taste for salt and add an extra drop of vinegar if you like. Put guindilla or harissa on the table for those who like it hot.
Flavourful Cooking · slowcookerspain.com/en/recipes/seville-style-chickpeas-with-spinach/