Description
Catalan chickpeas and spinach is one of my favorite classic tapas here in Barcelona. It’s made with feel-good simple ingredients, it’s easy to make in just 15 minutes, and it always tastes so comforting.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (5-ounce) bag fresh baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1 small white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus extra for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained*
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
- sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the spinach in a colander and rinse with water. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add in the garlic, paprika, cumin and stir to combine. Cook for 1 more minute, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the still-wet spinach to the pan, cover with a lid, and wait for 1-2 minutes until the spinach has wilted. Stir in the chickpeas and raisins until combined. Then continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, until the chickpeas are heated through.
- Taste and season generously with salt (I used about 1 teaspoon) and black pepper, to taste.
- Serve warm, garnished with toasted pine nuts, an extra drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of paprika. Or transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Notes
*If you would like the chickpeas to be extra soft and juicy (like they are in Spain), just boil them in water for 10-20 minutes before adding them to the recipe. It’s a simple step that will make a big difference!