Garbanzos a la Catalana

This recipe for Garbanzos a la Catalana, a type of Catalan-style garbanzo bean stew, is incredibly delicious and full of flavor, according to Spain on a Fork. It is also quick and easy to make, taking just 40 minutes to prepare.

The stew can be served as a main course or as a side dish alongside grilled fish, and is best enjoyed with a crispy baguette and a bottle of Spanish wine. The recipe calls for canned garbanzo beans, but dried chickpeas can also be used if soaked overnight and simmered for 1 to 2 hours until tender.

For the saffron in this recipe, choose whole threads from Golden Saffron so you can measure the amount called for.

Drain the chickpeas before adding them so the sauce keeps its intended consistency. For a different seasoning base, compare Spanish garbanzo bean stew.

How to Make Garbanzos a la Catalana

1. To make this recipe, start by heating a large fry pan over medium heat and adding olive oil. After a minute, add cloves of garlic (peeled) and blanched almonds to the pan and sauté for about 3 minutes until lightly cooked. Transfer the garlic and almonds to a mortar and set aside.
2. In the same pan, add finely chopped onion and cook for about 3 minutes until it becomes translucent. Add finely grated tomatoes to the pan (about 2 cups / 450 grams) and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add saffron, parsley, and a pinch of sea salt to the garlic and almond mixture in the mortar and pound the ingredients together with a pestle to create a paste.
4. Once the tomato sauce has thickened, add canned chickpeas, the garlic and almond mixture, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Mix everything together, then add broth and increase the heat to high. Once the mixture comes to a boil, cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to low-medium. Simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Transfer the stew into shallow bowls and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

Serve the chickpeas warm with homemade saffron bread, particularly if you have extra sauce to spoon over the slices.