Cocido Madrileño (Madrid Chickpea, Meat and Vegetable Stew)

There’s a running joke in my house that every culture has its own version of “throw the whole pantry and half the freezer into one pot and simmer it into a Sunday feast,” and cocido madrileño is Madrid’s magnificent entry into that category. It’s a slow-simmered chickpea stew loaded with beef, chicken, chorizo and vegetables, traditionally served in stages, or vuelcos, starting with the broth and ending with the meat.

If this reminds you of my Cozido à Portuguesa (recipe on the site), you’re picking up on something real — Iberian cooking is full of these one-pot, everything-in stews built around good broth and hardworking cuts of meat, much like my Fabada Asturiana (recipe on the site) from just up the coast. What sets cocido madrileño apart is the ceremony of it: the broth becomes a soup with fine noodles as a first course, and only then do the chickpeas, meats and vegetables arrive at the table as the main event.

This is a proper project for a lazy Sunday, not a weeknight dinner, but almost everything happens hands-off once the pot is simmering. I’ll flag one ingredient for a quick note: morcilla, Spanish blood sausage, is traditional here and delicious, but it should always come from a reputable butcher and be fully cooked through before eating, same as any blood-based sausage.

Cocido Madrileño Recipe

Prep time: 25 minutes (plus overnight soaking) · Cook time: 3 hours · Total: 3 hours 25 minutes (plus soaking) · Servings: 8 · Calories: ~560 per serving

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried chickpeas, soaked overnight with a pinch of baking soda
• 1 pound beef shank or short ribs
• 1/2 pound boneless chicken thighs
• 1/2 pound smoked ham hock or bacon, in one piece
• 2 Spanish chorizo links
• 1 morcilla (Spanish blood sausage), optional (ensure fully cooked before serving; source from a trusted butcher)
• 1 marrow bone (optional, for richness)
• 1 small green cabbage, cut into wedges
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
• 1 onion, halved
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 12 cups water, plus more as needed
• Salt, to taste
• 4 ounces fine soup noodles (fideos or angel hair, broken into short lengths), for the first course

Instructions

1. Drain the soaked chickpeas and place them in a large stockpot with the beef shank, ham hock, onion, garlic, bay leaves and marrow bone (if using). Cover with the water, bring to a boil, and skim off any foam that rises.
2. Reduce to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook for 1.5 hours, skimming occasionally.
3. Add the chicken thighs, chorizo and morcilla (if using) to the pot, and continue simmering for 45 minutes.
4. Add the carrots and potatoes, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cabbage wedges in the last 15 minutes of cooking, until all the vegetables and chickpeas are tender.
5. Taste the broth and season with salt as needed. Carefully lift out the meats, chickpeas and vegetables with a slotted spoon and arrange on a large serving platter, keeping them warm.
6. Strain about 6 cups of the broth into a separate pot, bring to a boil, and cook the soup noodles in it for 3 to 4 minutes, until tender. Serve this broth and noodles as the first course.
7. Serve the platter of chickpeas, meats and vegetables as the second course, with a bit of the remaining broth spooned over for moisture.

Recipe Notes

• Morcilla must be fully cooked through before serving, as with any blood sausage — simmering it the full cooking time in the pot takes care of this, but always confirm doneness and buy from a butcher you trust.
• This stew is traditionally served in two or three courses (the broth with noodles first, then the meats and vegetables), but there’s no harm in serving it all together for a simpler family dinner.
• Leftover broth freezes beautifully and makes a wonderful base for a quick soup later in the week.
• If you can’t find morcilla or prefer to skip it, the stew is still rich and satisfying with just the chorizo, chicken and beef.