MEGAN FRANCES LLOYD
// writer

Espinacas con Garbanzos

 ESPINACAS CON GARBANZOS

Espinacas con Garbanzos is a classic Sevillano tapa that dates back to the Moorish period of rule in the city. It combines a variety of foods brought up from Northern Africa, giving it distinct spiced flavors that differ from many of Spain’s classic dishes. Spinach (espinacas) and garbanzos are loaded up with spices like cumin and paprika, sizzled with a hefty amount of garlic, and simmered slowly for hours in a bath of extra virgin olive oil. Keep a heavy hand with that bottle of olive oil; it can only improve the dish.

Recipe adapted from El Rinconcillo, the oldest tapas bar in Sevilla.

Ingredients

1 3/4 lbs. fresh spinach, chopped 

Salt

1 cup extra virgin olive oil 

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons cumin 

2 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika

2 teaspoons coriander

3 whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 

2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (if using dried, cook in bay leaf, garlic and jamón bone or other available pork bone) 

Bread for serving

Instructions 

  1. Heat 1/2 cup of water in a large deep skillet over medium eat and add spinach, cooking in batches to fit it all int there. Cook spinach until water has fully evaporated. 

  2. While water is evaporating, blend 1/2 cup of olive oil with spices and garlic until smooth. Set aside. 

  3. Add a couple pinches of salt, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and cook for five minutes. 

  4. Add spiced oil mixture to spinach and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often to keep spices from burning and sticking.

  5. Turn down heat to low, cover, and cook spinach for 2.5 hours. Stir occasionally, adding a few splashes of olive oil if it gets to too dry and tasting for salt. This seems like an exceptionally long amount of time to cook spinach. But keep at it—it’s worth it. The spices and garlic will start to develop a unique aroma as they sit and coax the spinach into full submission, giving it that quintessential espinacas con garbanzos taste so many Sevillanos love.

  6. Add the cooked garbanzo beans, cover, and cook mixture for another 30 minutes. 

  7. Right before serving, fry small pieces of bread in olive oil until golden and toasted on each side. 

  8. Spoon spinach and garbanzos onto toasts or use toasts as your other utensil, helping to scoop the mixture onto your fork like a proper Sevillano.