Good Food Every Day

Catalan Chickpeas and Spinach
Total Time: 15 mins Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

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

Directions:

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.

*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!

Possible Variations:

Add sausage or bacon: We always make this dish plant-based, since my husband doesn’t eat meat. But I’ve tried the traditional sausage or bacon varieties of chickpeas and spinach before when we’ve been out with friends and they are delicious. Just sauté some sausage or bacon before starting the recipe, remove the cooked meat from the pan with a slotted spoon, and use the leftover grease to sauté the onions and garlic. Then stir the sausage/bacon back in just before serving.
Add tomatoes: Many restaurants make this dish wish fresh (or canned) tomatoes added to the mixture, which is also delicious.
Add white wine: A generous splash into the mixture as it simmers is always a win.
Add some heat: Ok, this is definitely not traditional (Catalan cuisine is never spicy!), but I like to add in a generous pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to give this dish a little kick. If you like a little heat in your food, I highly recommend it.
Use different nuts: If you don’t have pine nuts available, toasted almonds or hazelnuts would also be delicious.