Chickpea Stew with Spinach and Chorizo

• Recipe by Sergi Millet

This stew, like all those in Catalonia, starts with a sofrito, a thick sauce made with sautéed onions and tomatoes. Once you get all the ingredients in the pot, there's not much to do besides enjoy the aroma wafting from this hearty, spicy, soupy stew as it slowly cooks.

Ingredients

1. 2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
2. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3. 4 garlic cloves, minced
4. 1 large onion, finely diced
5. 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
6. 1 bay leaf
7. One 28-ounce can Italian tomatoes, chopped, 1 cup juice reserved
8. 1/2 pound soft cooked chorizo, sliced 1/4 inch thick
9. 1 pound spinach, thick stems discarded
10. Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, cover the chickpeas with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chickpeas are tender, about 2 hours; add more water as necessary to maintain the level. Drain the chickpeas and reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
2. In a medium, enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, rosemary and bay leaf and cook over moderate heat until the onion is softened, about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook over moderately high heat until sizzling, about 4 minutes. Add the chorizo, the cooked chickpeas and their reserved cooking water and the tomato juice and bring to a simmer. Stir in half of the spinach and cook until wilted, then stir in the remaining spinach. Simmer over moderately low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

Make Ahead

The stew can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat gently.