Gypsies’ Hot Pot

Name: Gypsies’ Hot Pot (Olla Gitana)
Yield: Serves Four
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 1 small slice bread, crusts removed and diced; 2 ripe tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and chopped; 10 almonds, toasted and skinned; 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped; 2 tablespoons vegetable stock, hot; 2—3 strands saffron; 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar; 250 g (9 oz) green beans, sliced diagonally into 3 cm (1¼ in) lengths; 150 g (5 oz) pumpkin, peeled and diced into 3.5 cm (1½ in) cubes; 3 pears, peeled, cored and diced; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 100 ml (3½ fl oz) olive oil; 1 Spanish onion, peeled and finely chopped; 1 teaspoon paprika; 250 g (9 oz) chick peas; 2.5 litres (4½ pints) water

Olla Gitana

Preparation info

Serves
Four

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Spain on a Plate

By María José Sevilla

Published 1992

About

I have always wondered why this dish is called ‘gypsies", but so far no one has been able to give me a satisfactory answer. It could be because of its lovely colouring and its contrasting sweet and sour flavour.

Ingredients

250 g (9 oz) chick peas
2.5 litres (4½

Europe
Spain
Stew
Vegan
Mediterranean

Method

Soak the chick peas overnight in cold water, then drain and rinse.

Bring the water to the boil in a large pan, add the chick peas, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour. Gradually add the green beans, pumpkin and pears without letting the soup go off the boil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue to simmer gently for a further 2 hours.

Heat half the oil and fr