Finca Buenvino’s Spinach with Chickpeas
Chickpeas are a standard ingredient of Andalucian and Spanish cooking. When you go to the vegetable shops in Aracena you will often see the pulses soaking in a dish. They are deliciously nutty when you buy them this way or soak them yourself for 24 hours.
PREP TIME
10
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
15
MINUTES
Ingredients
1 small onion, finely sliced (optional)
3 large tbsp olive oil, plus more to thicken
3 cloves of garlic roughly chopped into 3 or 4, or 1 small garlic clove, crushed
2kg spinach
500g soaked, cooked chickpeas
1 small clove of garlic, crushed, or 300ml chicken stock
2 tsp plain flour
spices to taste (cumin, pepper, cloves or pinchito spice)
2 tsp tomato purée (optional)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Method
If using the onion, wilt it in the olive oil, then add the crushed garlic and spinach.
Then, if using chopped garlic, stew it in the olive oil, allowing it to turn golden.
If using crushed garlic, just add it to the pan.
Throw in the spinach, stirring and wilt it down without burning (150ml of water can help at this point, to steam the spinach into submission.)
Add the chickpeas and half the stock. When all is warmed through, add the remaining stock.
Stir the flour in a little oil in a small bowl to make a runny paste.
Take some of the liquid from the spinach and stir it into the paste, then tip back into the spinach and allow to thicken.
If it’s too thick add more stock or water, you want a creamy texture.
Add the spices to taste and the tomato puree (if using). Season with salt and pepper and serve with thin slices of bread fried in olive oil.
