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

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