Potaje de Garbanzos

by Casa Cebadillas
(Torrox Pueblo, Spain)

Marriage of Moorish and Roman Cuisine in Andalucia
I will never forget the first time I had Potaje here in Andalucia. When searching for recipes from Spain, it is rare to find Potaje since many are guarded secrets! If budget cooking for your family or cooking for a crowd is your goal, you must try this Spanish recipe! I was on a coach trip to Donana Park and the hotel was offering a thick hearty soup as a first course. I passed on the main course and requested another bowl of this wonderful Potaje. They were so excited that a extranjero (foreigner) thought this dish was "estar de muerte" (to die for) they gave me the recipe.

This dish is perfect to serve with just a salad and crusty bread. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 1/3 lbs chickpeas, dried
5 1/2 cups water
8 garlic cloves, peeled
3 bay leaves
1/3 lb Salt Pork/Slab Bacon
1 ham bone
3 tablespoons olive oil (Spanish for authenticity)
3 slices bread, 1/2-inch thick (crusty or rustic style)
1/3 cup Spanish ham
1 large onions, finely chopped
3 Spanish Chorizos sliced thick
1 teaspoon paprika
1 lbs swiss chard or collard greens, coarsly chopped
1 lbs small red potatoes, peeled (about 2 inches in diameter or larger potatoes cut in 2 inch chunks)
salt, to taste
16 blanched almonds, finely chopped
3 hard-boiled eggs

Directions1 Soak the chickpeas overnight in a large pot of cold water to cover; drain. 2 In the large pot combine chickpeas, 4 cups water, garlic, bay leaves, slab bacon, and bone; bring to a boil, cover and simmer about 1 1/2 hours. 3 Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the oil and sauté the bread slices until golden on both sides. 4 Remove and reserve the bread. 5 Add the ham and onion to the skillet; sauté until the onion has wilted. 6 Stir in the paprika, and remove the pan from the heat. 7 Add the onion mixture to the chickpeas. 8 Add the greens, potatoes, and salt to taste to the chickpeas and continue cooking 30 minutes or more, or until the chickpeas and potatoes are tender. 9 Remove the ham or beef bone. 10 In a mortar or food processor, combine the sautéed bread, almonds, 4 Tablespoons of the chickpeas from the pot, and the yolks of the hard-boiled eggs; mash to a paste. 11 Stir the paste into the stew, cover and let sit 10 minutes before serving. 12 Chop the hard-boiled egg whites. 13 Divide into soup bowls and garnish with chopped hard-boiled egg whites. These recipes from Spain are excellent for budget cooking, or cooking for a crowd. You can also find this and many more Spanish recipes from our cookbook Dinner for Six at 8:00 from Casa Cebadillas. To view more recipes from Spain, be sure to visit our Tienda on this website.

Want to learn how to make Spanish Cuisine hands on? Make your next holiday a culinary vacation in beautiful Spain.