Catalan Chickpeas and Spinach (Cigrons amb Espinacs)
Catalan Chickpeas and Spinach (Cigrons amb Espinacs in Catalan) is a quick and easy vegan-friendly tapas that’s popular in Barcelona tapas bars all over the city. Ready in 15 minutes.
Unlike the traditional Spanish version of spinach and chickpeas, Catalan Chickpeas and spinach are simmered down in some onion, garlic and uses a selection warm spices (ground cumin, smoked paprika, and ground black pepper). Toasted pinenuts for some crunch and some dried raisins for a little sweetness.
To balance the flavors we also add a little nutmeg and some sherry vinegar which really helps brings all the flavors together. In around 15 minutes, you’ve got a tasty tapas that serves 4, or make a bigger batch and turn it into an entre or meal all on its own.
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Serving:
Tapas for 4
Ready in:
Around 15 minutes
Skill level:
very easy
Serve with:
Bread
Watch step-by-step recipe video
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How to make Catalan Chickpeas and Spinach (cigrons amb espinacs)
Ingredients
- 2 cups of fresh spinach (add more if you prefer)
- 2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Spanish La Vera smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- ½ tsp White pepper
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 (15-ounce) can Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 10 grams raisins (around ¼ cup)
- 10 grams of toasted pine nuts (around ¼ cup)
- Dash of Jerez Sherry Vinegar (to taste)
- Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
Equipment
- 12 inch cast iron skillet
- Clay dish (for serving)
Instructions
- Place the spinach in a colander and rinse. Set aside for use later.
- Lightly toast pinenuts in a dry pan on medium-high heat. This should take around 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove toasted pine nuts from pan and set aside for use later.
- Heat the oil in the pan and add onion. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly golden.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the garlic, smoked paprika, nutmeg, white pepper, and cumin and stir until combined. Cook for a minute or two or until the spices become aromatic.
- Stir in the chickpeas, half of the toasted pine nuts, and raisins until combined. Cook until the chickpeas are heated (around 3 minutes – Note: if you want extra soft chickpeas, just extend the cooking time for another 5 minutes).
- Add the still-wet spinach to the pan, cover with a lid, and wait for 2-3 minutes until the spinach has wilted. Once the spinach has wilted, mix in with the chickpeas and spices.
- Check the flavors and balance with a dash of sherry vinegar.
- Garnish with the leftover toasted pine nuts and raisins, a drizzle of olive oil, and season to taste with some salt and pepper.
Cooking notes:
Use fresh or frozen spinach:
For best results use fresh spinach, however, frozen spinach can also be used. If using frozen spinach, thaw and then squeeze out any excess liquid before cooking it.
Soak the raisins:
If you prefer softer raisins, soak them in warm water for 20 minutes before use. This will rehydrate them, and they will soften and plump up with water.
Ingredients and substitutions
Raisins, Cumin, and Nutmeg
Dried fruit such as pears, apricots, and raisins are popular in Catalan cuisine and offer a delicious balance of savory and sweet to many dishes.
More savory & sweet recipes from the Catalonia region:
Another ingredient that pairs well with dried fruit is nutmeg, and catalan cuisine embraces the warmth of nutmeg in more than just desserts and sweet dishes. Ground Nutmeg is used in stews and casseroles to add a distinctive warmth and a subtle nutty flavor. Of course, this works great with chickpeas!
You’ll notice the spice cumin is used in this dish. While you may not immediately associate cumin with Spanish cooking it’s integral and is one of the most used spices in Spain. Cumin adds warmth and nuttiness to any recipe and works perfectly when paired with nutmeg and chickpeas.
Best chickpeas to use
For this recipe, we used canned chickpeas purchased from our local supermarket. They’re cheap and already prepared and ready for cooking with so they save a lot of time. The ones we used are the ‘soft’ chickpeas, which have been cooked a little longer than usual and are more soft and tender.
When using canned chickpeas, give them a good rinse with fresh water first before using them.
If you’re using dried chickpeas, then allow some extra time to prepare the dried chickpeas.
- First, soak the dried chickpeas in some clean fresh water overnight. The chickpeas will expand around twice their size so add around double the amount of water to chickpeas in a large bowl.
- Next, drain them from the water and add them to a pan with some fresh water.
- Cook them for around 2 hours for them to soften up. Alternatively, use a slow cooker or pressure cooker to prepare your chickpeas.
Spinach
Popeye knew it, as does every chef in Spain that Spinach is a superfood and is packed with nutrients and vitamins.
For this recipe, we used around half a bag (150g) of fresh spinach leaves and wilted them down. If you prefer more spinach, just add more and allow extra time to wilt the spinach in batches. This also gives the chickpeas more time to soften and
Frozen spinach can also be used. Just ensure you thaw the spinach and then give it a good squeeze to release as much excess liquid as possible.
Sherry Vinegar
While sherry vinegar is not typically used in some of the more traditional Catalan chickpea recipes, we discovered that just a splash of good quality sherry vinegar works a treat to balance the flavors and remove any bitterness from the fresh spinach. Sherry vinegar also helps to enhance the sweetness of the raisins.
We used white Jerez Sherry vinegar (from the beautiful region of Andalusia), but any sherry vinegar will work just fine.
How to Serve Chickpeas and Spinach
This dish is typically served as a tapa, often presented in a small earthenware dish about 6-8 inches in diameter. It is intended to be slightly dry, with most of the liquid coming from the spinach. It is easy to eat by the spoonful or can be loaded onto some bread.
Alternatively, chickpeas and spinach can be enjoyed as a delicious vegan main course. During the winter, we make this dish regularly, serving it straight from the pan with some hunks of bread on the side for a comforting meal.
More Catalan Recipes:
- One-Pan Chicken Thighs in Cava with Caramelized Apples
- Catalan Style Beef Stew (Estofado a la Catalana)
- Catalan Roasted Vegetables (Escalivada Catalana)
Nutrition Facts
|
Serving size: tapas |
|
|
Servings: 4 |
|
|
Amount per serving |
|
|
Calories |
316 |
|
% Daily Value* |
|
|
Total Fat 13.3g |
17% |
|
Saturated Fat 1.6g |
8% |
|
Cholesterol 0mg |
0% |
|
Sodium 48mg |
2% |
|
Total Carbohydrate 40.8g |
15% |
|
Dietary Fiber 10.9g |
39% |
|
Total Sugars 10.3g |
|
|
Protein 11.9g |
|
|
Vitamin D 0mcg |
0% |
|
Calcium 110mg |
8% |
|
Iron 5mg |
30% |
|
Potassium 566mg |
12% |
|
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
|
Catalan Chickpeas and Spinach (Cigrons amb Espinacs)
Equipment
- 12 inch cast iron skillet
- Clay dish (for serving)
- 1 colander
Ingredients
- 2 cups of fresh spinach add more if you prefer
- 2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small white onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp Spanish La Vera smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- ½ tsp White pepper
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 15-ounce can Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 10 grams raisins around ¼ cup
- 10 grams of toasted pine nuts around ¼ cup
- Dash of Jerez Sherry Vinegar to taste
- Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the spinach in a colander and rinse. Set aside for use later.2 cups of fresh spinach
- Lightly toast pinenuts in a dry pan on medium-high heat. This should take around 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove toasted pine nuts from pan and set aside for use later.10 grams of toasted pine nuts
- Heat the oil in the pan and add onion. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly golden.2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil, 1 small white onion
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the garlic, smoked paprika, ground cumin, nutmeg, white pepper, and cumin and stir until combined. Cook for a minute or two or until the spices become aromatic.2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp Spanish La Vera smoked paprika, 1 tsp Ground Cumin, ½ tsp White pepper, ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- Stir in the chickpeas, half of the toasted pine nuts, and raisins until combined. Cook until the chickpeas are heated (around 3 minutes - note: if you want extra soft chickpeas, just extend the cooking time for another 5 minutes).1 15-ounce can Chickpeas, rinsed and drained, 10 grams raisins
- Add the still-wet spinach to the pan, cover with a lid, and wait for 2-3 minutes until the spinach has wilted. Once the spinach has wilted, mix in with the chickpeas and spices.
- Check the flavors and balance with a dash of sherry vinegar.Dash of Jerez Sherry Vinegar, Salt and cracked black pepper
- Garnish with the leftover toasted pine nuts and raisins, a drizzle of olive oil, and season to taste with some salt and pepper.
Video
Notes
Cooking notes:
Use fresh or frozen spinach: For best results use fresh spinach, however, frozen spinach can also be used. If using frozen spinach, thaw and then squeeze out any excess liquid before cooking it. Soak the raisins: If you prefer softer raisins, soak them in warm water for 20 minutes before use. This will rehydrate them, and they will soften and plump up with water.
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