Spanish Garbanzo Gumbo Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, green pepper, Sazón seasoning, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly darker in color and thickened, about 1 minute. Add the vino seco to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits with a wooden spoon.
• Add the garbanzo beans, potatoes, chorizo and 5 cups of water. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, then cover the pot and simmer until the potatoes are tender and the chickpeas are very soft, about 20 minutes. Once the potatoes have softened, use the back of a wooden spoon to crush some of them against the side of the pot to thicken the stew. Serve the stew over hot rice, if desired.

Steps:

• Place pot on stove with the olive oil on medium high.
• Rinse chicken breast to clean, chop into bit sized cubes and place in pot with heated olive oil to sear (for about 5 minutes). Stir to keep chicken from burning and to sear all sides of the cubes. (If you are substituting the shrimp with pork, increase olive oil to 4 tablespoons and add the pork at the same time you add the chicken. You will need to sear the mixture a bit longer as well--searing for 8-10 minutes.).
• Add water.
• Chop vegetables, grate carrrot and add to pot. A flavorful substitution for the tomatoes is 1/2 (to 2/3) cup of salsa.
• Add mojo.
• Drain and rinse garbonzo beans and add to pot.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cover pot for 30 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for at least one hour. The longer soup simmers, the softer the garbanzo beans will become.
• Clean/devein shrimp and add to pot 15 minutes (if fresh) to 30 minutes (if frozen) before serving. (I shouldn't have to say this, but just in case -- remember to remove the tails and any exoskeleton from the shrimp.).
• *Optional: Add gravy packet just prior to serving to thicken. You can also use flour or corn starch to thicken, but I like using the gravy pack as it adds a bit more chicken flavor to the recipe. (Also, if you are using pork, a pork gravy packet rather than chicken is a delicious way to go.).
• Serve.

Steps:

• Pick over chickpeas, put them in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
• Drain chickpeas (they should have swelled considerably) and put them in a soup pot. Cover with 6 cups water, add the onion stuck with clove, the carrot and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat and let chickpeas simmer gently. Skim any foam that rises to the surface. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until chickpeas are tender. (If chickpeas seem to be drying out during cooking, add 1/2 cup water to keep them submerged in liquid.) Season generously with salt, and leave chickpeas to cool in the broth (cooking liquid). You should have about 2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas. (They may be cooked a day in advance, if desired.)
• Put olive oil in a deep, wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chorizo and let it fry a bit, then turn heat to medium. Add the garlic, pimentón and 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin, and stir to coat. Add the cooked chickpeas and 1/2 cup broth. Bring to a simmer, add the greens and sprinkle with a little salt. Stir to allow the greens to wilt. Put on the lid and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until greens are completely cooked. Stir well, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. To serve as a tapa or side dish, transfer to a cazuela or deep serving platter. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin and the pine nuts, if using. Alternatively, to serve as soup, spoon the garbanzo-and-greens mixture into 4 deep soup bowls. Ladle 1 cup heated broth into each bowl, and sprinkle soup with the remaining cumin.