Spanish Chickpea and Spinach Stew

Ingredients

• 1.5 cans (400 g each) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 250 g fresh spinach
• 60 g crusty bread, torn (plus more to serve)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar or red grape vinegar
• 300 ml vegetable broth, low sodium
• 150 g canned diced tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wide pot over medium. Fry the torn bread and half the garlic together, stirring, 3-4 minutes until the bread is golden and crunchy like croutons. Tip into a bowl.
2. Add the remaining oil and garlic to the pot; cook 1 minute until the slices just turn blond at the edges. Stir in the smoked paprika and cumin and bloom for 15 seconds — no longer, or the paprika scorches and turns bitter.
3. Immediately add the tomatoes to stop the spices cooking, then the broth and chickpeas. Simmer 10 minutes so the chickpeas drink in the smoky broth.
4. Meanwhile, mash or blitz the fried bread mixture with the vinegar and a ladle of the stew broth into a rough paste — this picada is the traditional thickener.
5. Stir the picada back into the pot and add the spinach in two big handfuls, folding until it collapses, about 2 minutes. Simmer 3 minutes more until the stew is creamy and spoon-coating. Season with the salt and serve with extra bread.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories

610

Protein

25 g

Fat

23 g

Carbs

78 g