Spanish Chickpea & Spinach Stew

28 min · Easy · Serves 1

630 kcal per serving · 27g protein

The tapas-bar classic from Seville, made as a full dinner: chickpeas and a big heap of spinach in a smoky sauce of garlic, almonds, cumin and paprika, sharpened with a little vinegar. Crushing a spoonful of the chickpeas into the pan is what thickens the stew without any flour. It is entirely plant-based, and toasted wholegrain bread is part of the dish, not a side.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 15 g Almonds, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 0.5 tsp Ground cumin
• 1 tsp Smoked paprika
• 100 g Chopped canned tomatoes
• 180 g Chickpeas (canned), drained and rinsed
• 3 g Salt
• 0.5 g Black pepper
• 150 g Fresh spinach
• 1 tsp Red wine vinegar
• 1 slice Wholegrain bread

Method

1. Toast the almonds and garlic

   

   Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat, add the chopped almonds and sliced garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until both are pale gold.

2. Bloom the spices off the heat

   

   Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cumin and smoked paprika for 20 seconds, so the spices colour the oil without burning.

3. Simmer the tomatoes

   

   Return the pan to medium heat, add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 4 minutes, until the tomatoes have thickened and darkened.

4. Simmer the chickpeas

   

   Add the drained chickpeas, salt, black pepper and 100 ml hot water and simmer for 8 minutes, crushing a large spoonful of the chickpeas against the side of the pan until the stew thickens.

5. Wilt the spinach

   

   Add the spinach in three handfuls, stirring each one down, and cook for 3 minutes until the spinach is fully wilted, then stir in the red wine vinegar.

6. Toast the bread and serve

   

   Toast the wholegrain bread until golden and serve the chickpea and spinach stew in a deep plate with the toast tucked in at the side.