Old-Fashioned Chickpea Stew Recipe: Hearty Spanish Comfort 2026

This old-fashioned Andalusian chickpea stew is the kind of dish that fills the kitchen with the smell of home cooking. Chickpeas simmer slowly with chorizo, morcilla, panceta and a piece of ham bone, while a tomato and onion sofrito deepens every spoonful.

Potato and fresh spinach round it out, making it a complete one-pot meal that is especially welcome on cool days. The stew is made from scratch and follows the traditional slow-cooking method, so the broth takes on the flavor of the legumes, the cured meats and the ham bone.

Ingredients for Old-Fashioned Chickpea Stew

For 4 servings

• 300 g dried chickpeas, soaked for 12 hours
• 150 g chorizo for stewing
• 80 g morcilla for stewing
• 100 g fresh or smoked panceta (pork belly)
• 1 piece of ham bone
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 medium potato
• 1 onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 150 g crushed tomato (fresh or canned)
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 100 g fresh spinach (80 g if frozen)

How to Make Old-Fashioned Chickpea Stew Step by Step

1. Soak the Chickpeas

The day before making the stew, weigh out 300 g of dried chickpeas and put them in a bowl with plenty of water. Let them soak for about 12 hours so they hydrate fully and cook in a reasonable amount of time.

2. Start Cooking the Meats

When you are ready to make the stew, heat about 1.5 liters of water in a pot. Once it comes to a boil, drain the chickpeas and add them to the pot along with 150 g chorizo for stewing, 80 g morcilla, 100 g fresh or smoked panceta, 1 piece of ham bone and 1 bay leaf.

3. Skim and Add the Potato

When the pot returns to a boil, skim off the foam that rises to the surface, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes with the pot half-covered. After that time, remove the chorizo, morcilla and panceta from the stew, add 1 potato of about 300 g, peeled, and continue cooking. Top up with hot water if needed.

4. Make the Onion Sofrito

While the chickpeas cook, peel and chop 1 onion and 4 garlic cloves. Heat 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a small saucepan or frying pan and, when hot, add the onion. Sauté over medium heat for about 10 minutes until tender, then add the garlic, stir and cook for 1 more minute.

5. Add Paprika and Tomato

Remove the sofrito from the heat and let it cool for about half a minute, then sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika. Stir well so the paprika cooks slightly in the residual heat. Then add 150 g crushed tomato (fresh or canned), return to medium heat and let the mixture reduce.

6. Finish the Chickpeas with Spinach

After the chickpeas have cooked for 1 hour, remove the potato, which should be tender enough by then. Season with salt and pepper to taste, using little salt since the ham bone is already quite savory, and keep cooking until the chickpeas are tender. When they are, add the tomato and onion sofrito to the pot along with about 100 g chopped fresh spinach, or 80 g if frozen, and cook for a final 5 minutes.

7. Return the Meats to the Pot

To finish the stew, cut the chorizo, morcilla, panceta and potato into pieces and return them to the pot with the chickpeas.

8. Rest Before Serving

Once ready, it is best to remove the stew from the heat and let it rest covered for about 15 minutes before serving. You can also let it cool completely and keep it in the fridge to rest until the next day so the flavors develop. It tastes even better that way.

Tips for the Best Old-Fashioned Chickpea Stew

Quick Version with Canned Chickpeas

For a faster version of this stew, simply use canned cooked chickpeas and replace the piece of ham with prepared broth. That way the cooking time is reduced to just what it takes to cook the sausages and the potato.

Let It Rest for More Flavor

This stew benefits from a rest before serving. Leave it covered off the heat for about 15 minutes, or cool it completely and refrigerate it until the next day. The flavors meld and deepen, making it even more delicious.

Season with Care

The ham bone and the cured meats already bring plenty of salt to the broth, so season lightly and taste before adding more. A little ground black pepper is enough to round out the flavors without overpowering them.

30 Home-Cooked Recipes I Keep Coming Back To

If you're anything like me, your kitchen rotation probably includes a little bit of everything — cozy comfort plates, tried-and-true dishes from around the globe, and sweets that make a crowd happy.

When a rich, indulgent treat is calling my name, I reach for this La Viña Molten Cheesecake recipe, this refined Original French Crème Brûlée recipe, or a luxurious Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe. And on days when only something fruity and soothing will do, this timeless French Tarte Tatin recipe is my go-to.

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When something light and unfussy sounds right, I tend to go with the timeless Italian Caprese Salad Recipe or a flawlessly cooked Simple Poached Egg Recipe. And for cozier, heartier fare, I'm quick to suggest the filling Meatball Sandwich Recipe, the velvety Russian Stroganoff Beef Recipe, and the fast weeknight winner One Pot Pasta Recipe.

Sharing dishes from across the globe is another joy of mine — among them the genuine Sorropotún de Bonito Fish Stew Recipe, golden Chilean Pumpkin Sopaipillas Recipe, and the traditional Spanish Cochifrito Segovian Fried Pig Recipe.

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And for anyone steering clear of wheat, my cozy Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe shows that a classic baked pasta can still be rich, cheesy, and completely gratifying without any gluten.

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