Yes we do know that it’s June but our weather has been much more suitable for stew than salad in the last few weeks – it’s freezing! If we weren’t so stingy we’d turn the heating back on. As central heating in June is against our principles we’ve had to resort to stew instead. It’s kind of a summery stew as it’s full of spinach which is in season now and is also very good for you.
Hopefully we’ve convinced you that it’s ok to eat stew in June.
Spanish chickpea, chorizo & spinach stew – to feed 4
- 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 celery stick, finely diced
- few sprigs of thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 200g chorizo, diced
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp hot smoked paprika (it’s more common to find the sweet (dulce) one here so just add a bit of chilli powder as well)
- 2 tins of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1-2 tbsp Sherry vinegar
- 400g spinach leaves, washed and drained
- Heat the oil in a big pan, then gently fry the onion for 3-4 minutes until it starts to soften. Stir in the carrot, celery, thyme and bay leaves. Season and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring now and then. Add the garlic, chorizo, cinnamon and smoked paprika. Fry gently until the vegetables soften and the chorizo starts to crisp up and release its oils.
- Stir in the chickpeas, vinegar and 150ml of water, then bring to a simmer for 1-2 minutes until the chickpeas have heated up. Add the spinach, then stir through the chickpeas until it wilts a bit – it will all fit in just be patient!
- Season and serve with some crusty bread to mop up juice.
Wine Suggestion: A spanish red would be good – try a Joven (young), fruity Rioja or do like the Spanish and have a glass of Sherry.
(Original recipe by Thomasina Myers for BBC Good Food)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 
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