Chef-tested recipe
Andalusian spinach and chickpeas bound with fried bread, garlic, cumin, paprika, tomato, and sherry vinegar
Espinacas con garbanzos is strongly associated with Seville and Andalusian tapas bars. Its depth comes from a majao: bread and garlic fried in olive oil, then pounded with cumin, paprika, tomato, and vinegar into a savoury paste. That mixture coats tender chickpeas and wilted spinach, turning two simple ingredients into a cohesive dish without meat, dairy, or egg. The spinach should remain green and the chickpeas intact, while the sauce is thick enough to cling rather than pool at the bottom of the pan.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 main-dish
- Prep Time
- 25 mins
- Cook Time
- 35 mins
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Cuisine
- Andalusian Spanish
- Course
- Main dishes
- Cooking Method
- Olive-oil frying, mortar pounding, spinach wilting, and chickpea braising
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Best Served With
- Best served with crusty bread, marinated olives, roasted peppers, tomato salad, artichokes, and a glass of alcohol-free fino-style aperitif.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Wide sauté panpaid link
- Large mortar and pestle or food processorpaid link
- Colanderpaid link
- Wooden spoonpaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Cutting boardpaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
Ingredients
For the majao
- Day-old country bread, crust removed and cubed: 180 g
- Garlic cloves, peeled: 50 g
- Extra-virgin olive oilpaid link: 140 ml
- Ground cumin: 8 g
- Sweet Spanish paprika: 8 g
- Hot Spanish paprika: 2 g
- Ripe tomatoes, finely grated: 300 g
- Sherry vinegar: 45 ml
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 6 g
- Freshly ground black pepper: 2 g
For the spinach and chickpeas
- Cooked chickpeas, drainedpaid link: 1200 g
- Fresh mature spinach, washed and trimmed: 1200 g
- Chickpea cooking liquid or water: 350 ml
- Extra-virgin olive oilpaid link: 40 ml
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 8 g
For finishing
- Extra-virgin olive oilpaid link: 25 ml
- Sweet Spanish paprika: 2 g
- Toasted country bread: 300 g
Preparation Overview
Wash spinach thoroughly and dry it enough to prevent excessive water in the pan. Drain cooked chickpeas while reserving their liquid. Grate tomatoes, cube day-old bread, and measure paprika beside the stove because it burns quickly. Use a large mortar for the majao or pulse briefly in a food processor.
Method
Fry the bread. Heat 100 ml olive oil in a wide pan and fry bread cubes until golden on all sides, then transfer them to a mortar.
Fry the garlic. Add whole garlic cloves to the same oil and cook gently until pale gold and tender, then add them to the bread.
Build the majao. Take the pan off the heat, stir cumin and both paprikas through the oil for 15 seconds, and pour everything into the mortar.
Pound the paste. Add grated tomato, vinegar, salt, and pepper, then pound or pulse to a coarse, rust-coloured paste.
Wilt the spinach. Heat 40 ml olive oil in the clean pan and add spinach in batches, turning until just collapsed; cook off excess liquid.
Add the chickpeas. Fold in cooked chickpeas and 200 ml cooking liquid, then simmer for 5 minutes.
Thicken with majao. Stir the bread-garlic paste through the pan and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes, adding more liquid if needed.
Balance the seasoning. Add remaining salt as required and a small splash of vinegar if the dish needs brightness.
Serve. Spoon into warm cazuelas, drizzle with olive oil, dust lightly with sweet paprika, and offer toasted bread.
Beginner Technique Notes
Remove paprika from direct heat quickly because scorched paprika tastes bitter.
Wilt spinach in batches so it cooks evenly instead of spilling from the pan.
Dry spinach and cook away released water before adding the majao, or the sauce will be thin.
Pound the bread mixture coarsely; a completely smooth purée can make the dish pasty.
Use cooked chickpeas that are tender inside but firm enough to survive stirring.
Tips and Variations
Frozen spinach is practical, but thaw and squeeze it thoroughly before cooking.
A small pinch of saffron may be pounded into the majao for a special-occasion variation.
Use pimentón de la Vera only when a smoky note is wanted; many versions rely on sweet unsmoked paprika.
Serve smaller portions as tapas or larger portions with bread as a plant-based main dish.
Cook dried chickpeas with bay leaf for a deeper flavour, then reserve their liquid for the sauce.
Serving Ideas
- Use individual terracotta cazuelas for tapas service or one wide clay dish for sharing. Finish with glossy olive oil and a restrained paprika dusting.
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water until at least 74°C. The spinach colour will darken slightly. Freeze for up to 1 month, although the bread-thickened texture becomes softer.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains wheat gluten. Check bread for sesame, milk, egg, and soy cross-contact. Sherry vinegar may contain sulphites; verify chickpeas and paprika for packing or processing warnings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a majao?
It is a pounded mixture used to flavour and thicken the dish, here made from fried bread, garlic, spices, tomato, and vinegar.
Can frozen spinach be used?
Yes, after it is fully thawed and squeezed dry.
Should the dish be soupy?
No. The sauce should cling to the spinach and chickpeas without a watery pool.
Can I make it gluten-free?
Use a suitable gluten-free country bread and verify all packaged ingredients.
Is smoked paprika mandatory?
No. Sweet Spanish paprika provides the core flavour; smoky pimentón is a regional or household choice.
