Chickpea Stew with Chorizo and Meatballs

Name: Chickpea Stew with Chorizo and Meatballs (Garbanzos con Chorizo y Albondigas)
Yield: Serves 4 or 5
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; Olive oil; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 teaspoon Coarse salt (kosher or sea); 1 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), soaked overnight or quick-soaked; 1 bay leaf; 6 ounces sweet Spanish-style chorizo sausage; 2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed; 10 ounces ground pork (not too lean); 1 small egg, lightly beaten; ¼ cup grated onion; 1 medium-size onion, finely chopped; 4 medium-size garlic cloves, minced; 1 medium-size carrot, finely diced; 2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped; 1 teaspoon smoked sweet Spanish paprika; 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; Coarse salt (kosher or sea)

Garbanzos con Chorizo y Albondigas

Preparation info

Serves
4 or 5

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The New Spanish Table

By Anya von Bremzen

Published 2005

About

The origin of this recipe has dissolved under a stain of red wine in my notebook. There was a village bar. There was a bowl of these chickpeas, strewn with tiny meatballs and smoky from the pimentón. There was a recipe jotted down, which I have since made often. Perhaps it was in Castile or Andalusia or Extremadura—all regions where these ingredients would be used. What ultimately matters is the homey, comforting taste.

The meatballs add a special touch to the stew, but it is