This very simple dish is typical of Andalucía, particularly Sevilla, where it is eaten throughout the winter months, although it can be found as a tapa all year round. It is also common all over Spain during the period of Lent.

Chickpeas and spinach recipe

As is so often the case in Spanish cuisine, we have the Moors to thank for the origins of this dish. Both of the main ingredients are Middle Eastern, with spinach arriving in the Mediterranean from Persia (Iran) and chickpeas making their way from the Levant (nowadays Lebanon, part of Syria, western Jordan, and Israel).

This is a pretty quick and simple dish to prepare, and all the ingredients can be easily found here in Spain. It is a vegan-friendly dish but salted cod also goes well with the main ingredients if you should so desire. It is also ideal served as a tapa or ración before the main dish.

The list of ingredients is very short, so we recommend using the best quality available. We haven’t included any measurements, as they are approximate and can be adjusted according to taste.

Ingredients

• Chickpeas (cigrons in Catalan, garbanzos in Castellano)

• Spinach (espinacs / espinaca)

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Stale bread, broken into fairly small pieces

• A couple of cloves of garlic, finely chopped or (preferably) minced

• Salt and black pepper

• Tomato paste

• Red wine vinegar

• Spices (according to taste), such as paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, for example

Preparation

• Sauté the espinacs in some olive oil until it becomes wilted, and then set it aside

• Add some more olive oil to the pan and, over a low to medium heat, brown the pieces of bread, the almonds, the minced garlic, and the spices

• Once this mixture is browned, place it into a mixer and blend until it forms a paste

• Return the paste to the pan and add your chickpeas (drained)

• Add some tomato paste (according to taste)

• Mix the whole lot together in the pan over a medium heat

• Once combined, return the spinach to the pan and mix

So there you have it! It’s about as simple and tasty a recipe as you could ever hope for! As mentioned above, we didn’t include measurements for the ingredients as you can adjust these according to your own taste. You really can’t go wrong with this one, just keep tasting and adjusting according to your own preferences.

¡Buen provecho! Bon profit!

Check out our other recipes for Mediterranean dishes to try at home.