Espinacas con garbanzos is a classic tapa of Seville and the wider Andalusia region, made with spinach and chickpeas in a thick sauce of fried bread, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika and sherry vinegar. It is a meatless dish traditionally associated with Lent, when it appears on bar menus across the city.
The flavors of cumin and vinegar are often linked to Andalusia’s Moorish culinary heritage. The sauce is the defining feature: fried bread and garlic are ground into a paste that thickens the pot and gives the dish its rich body without any cream or meat.
It is served warm in a small clay dish with bread, or as a side dish with grilled fish or meat. Other Andalusian and Spanish tapas on the site include Pisto Manchego and Gambas al Ajillo con Chorizo (recipes on the site).
Espinacas con Garbanzos Recipe
Ingredients
- For the sauce:
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 ounces day-old rustic bread (about 2 slices), crusts removed, torn into pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (pimentón de la Vera)
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- For the dish:
- 1 pound fresh baby spinach (or 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry)
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 1½ cups)
- ½ cup water or vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- Crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread and garlic cloves and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning, until the bread is golden and the garlic is lightly browned. Do not let the garlic burn.
- Transfer the bread, garlic and about 2 tablespoons of the oil to a blender or mortar. Add the cumin, paprika, vinegar and the ¼ cup water and blend or grind to a thick paste.
- In the same skillet, wilt the spinach in batches over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, using the oil left in the pan. If using frozen spinach, cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the chickpeas, the ½ cup water or broth and the bread paste. Stir well and bring to a simmer.
- Cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often and lightly mashing a few chickpeas against the pan, until the sauce is thick and clings to the spinach.
- Season with salt and a pinch of cayenne, if using. Serve warm with crusty bread.
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