Chickpeas with spinach
8 servings
90 minutes
Chickpeas with spinach is a delightful dish of European cuisine that combines the rich flavor of legumes and the freshness of greens. Its roots trace back to Mediterranean traditions where chickpeas have long been used in hearty and aromatic stews. This recipe embodies a harmony of flavors: soft chickpeas, tender spinach, and savory ham create a rich and balanced dish. Additional spices like cumin and smoked paprika give it a slight smoky note, while garlic bread adds a velvety texture. It can be served as a standalone dish, especially in cool weather when something nourishing and warming is desired. It pairs well with a glass of dry white wine or traditional sherry vinegar for a hint of acidity.
1
Soak the chickpeas in water overnight, then drain the water, transfer the chickpeas to a large saucepan, and add water to cover them by 5 cm.
- Chickpeas: 230 g
2
Peel four cloves of garlic and an onion, wrap them with bay leaves in cheesecloth, and place the bundle in a saucepan. Add a small pork knuckle, bring the water to a boil, and cook on low heat without a lid, remembering to salt ten minutes after boiling, until the chickpeas are soft - about an hour.
- Garlic: 7 cloves
- Onion: 1 head
- Bay leaf: 1 piece
- Pork knuckle (ham hock): 1 piece
- Salt: to taste
3
Then remove from heat, take out the meat and the bundle with onions and garlic - keep the vegetables, leave the chickpeas in the liquid they were cooked in.
4
In another pan, sauté the spinach leaves for five minutes without oil, constantly stirring. Transfer the spinach to a sieve and squeeze out some water.
- Spinach: 500 g
5
In the third saucepan, heat the oil, fry the bread (cut off the crust) with fresh garlic cloves until golden brown, transfer everything to a blender, sprinkle with saffron and grind.
- Olive oil: 2 tablespoons
- Rustic bread: 1 piece
- Garlic: 7 cloves
- Saffron: pinch
6
Add cooked onion and garlic, cumin, sweet paprika, and a cup of liquid from the chickpea pot to the blender, and blend until smooth.
- Onion: 1 head
- Garlic: 7 cloves
- Ground cumin: 1 teaspoon
- Smoked paprika (pimenton): 2 teaspoons
- Chickpeas: 230 g
7
This puree, along with spinach and diced ham, should be added to the pot with chickpeas. (At this point, you should add salted cod if you decided to cook the chickpeas with it; 70 grams is enough, and the pork knuckle and ham are unnecessary in this case.) Mix well, heat on low flame, then salt and generously pepper. You can add sherry vinegar to taste.
- Spinach: 500 g
- Cooked ham: 80 g
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste