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Saffron Chickpeas with Spinach & Almonds
The Caravan Pot
Chickpeas and spinach simmered in a sauce thickened with fried bread, almonds, garlic and saffron, a way of cooking that goes back to medieval Spain. It's quick, filling and deeply savory.
At the table: Warm, covered, up to 2 hours. Add a splash of water if it thickens.
Not yet table-tested. This recipe is written from standard, well-known methods and has not been through our test tables yet. The badge changes when it has.
Crafting formula
TrainsBladeFireDoughTime
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As written: a quick picada stew.
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Pan-fry a cup of the chickpeas in a hot skillet until blistered and crisp, and scatter them on top.
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Cook dried chickpeas from scratch (soak overnight, simmer about 1½ hours) and use their cooking liquid as the broth.
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Plate in shallow bowls with a soft-poached egg, crisp chickpeas, saffron oil and toasted almonds.
Cooking at Hearth. The dish as written. Simple, honest, done well.
Stock your pantry to see what you are missing.
Why nowTwo cans of chickpeas and a bag of spinach make a vegan supper with real protein in about half an hour.
Ingredients
As written: About 6 cups.
Kosher salt means Diamond Crystal. With Morton kosher salt, use about half.
Method
Crumble the saffron into 2 tablespoons of warm water and leave it to steep.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Fry the bread and almonds, turning, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and coriander for the last minute.
Look forThe bread and almonds are golden and the garlic is pale gold, not brown.
Tip everything into a food processor with the vinegar and the saffron water, and blend to a thick paste.
Look forLet it cool for a few minutes first. Or pound it in a mortar, the old way.
Wipe out the pot, add the last tablespoon of oil, and wilt the spinach in handfuls over medium heat.
Add the chickpeas, broth, the paste and the salt. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring now and then.
Look forThick enough to sit on a spoon.
Taste for salt and serve with lemon wedges.
Make ahead
Keeps 4 days in the fridge and gets better. Reheat with a splash of water until steaming hot.
Holding
Warm, covered, up to 2 hours. Add a splash of water if it thickens.
Allergens
Contains wheat (bread), tree nuts (almonds). Always check labels on packaged ingredients.
Notes
Gluten-free: use gluten-free bread.
This bread-and-nut thickening (a picada) is how cooks in medieval Spain and the Arab world thickened sauces before flour roux.
Tavern Night
This dish's twist table (d6)
| 1–2 | The classic stands. No twist. Cook it as written. |
|---|---|
| 3 | Herb swap. A handful of chopped mint at the end |
| 4 | Acid strike. Orange zest instead of lemon |
| 5 | Plating challenge. Serve over barley or with oat flatbreads |
| 6 | Host's boon. The Host picks any twist above, or the table invents one. The safety rule still applies. |
Roll before you start cooking. No twist ever changes a time, a temperature or how done something must be.