Spinach with chickpeas - Espinacas con garbanzos

Receta en español aquí

This is a typical dish here in Sevilla (Spain) usually served as “tapa” (small Spanish dishes often served as a snack with drinks, or with other tapas as a meal).

Spinach with chickpeas - Espinacas con garbanzos

Ingredients (4 servings)

600 g fresh spinach

400 g  canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

8 medium cloves of garlic

"Especias reunidas" (mixed seasoning spices: cumin, coriander, chillies and pepper) to taste

1 small bay leaf

1 small chilli if you like it spicy

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Salt to taste

7-8 small cubes of fried bread

Extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Wash the spinach, chop and discard tough stems.

Place spinach in a pot of boiling water and let sit for 3-4 minutes. Then drain in a colander and set aside. Save some of the boiling water.

In a frying pan over medium heat pour enough extra virgin olive oil and brown the cloves of garlic. Remove garlic from the pan and set aside.

Put in the frying pan the spinach, add the chickpeas and stir until the chickpeas have absorbed the flavors. Season with spices, salt and black pepper, and add the bay leaf. In a side of the pan put the paprika and toast a little before mixing. Stir well to combine.

In a mortar crush and grind the fried garlic with the fried bread until get a paste. Pour over the spinach and stir.

If the consistency is a little thick add some of the reserved water.

Remove the bay leaf, cover the pan and let it cook at low heat until  spinach are at your taste.

Check for seasoning and serve on fried bread toasts or with a fried egg.