María José Sevilla

From time to time I have to defend Spanish vegetarian food. Many people believe it does not exist; too much chorizo, too much ham, they say. This ‘olla’, one of the names given in Andalucía to numerous vegetarian and non-vegetarian stews, is one of my favourite meat-free recipes.

Requires overnight soaking for the chickpeas. 

Overview

Prep time
20 mins Cook time
1 hr 25 mins Serves
6 -8

Ingredients

  • 250g chickpeas
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 250g green beans, cut into 3cm pieces
  • 150g pumpkin, peeled and cut into cubes
  • 3 pears, peeled, cored and quartered
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 100ml olive oil, preferably Spanish
  • 1 tsp pimentón dulce (Spanish sweet paprika)
  • 2 large, ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 small slice of bread, plus more to serve
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 10 blanched almonds
  • 6-7 saffron filaments, soaked in a little hot water
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Method

Step

In a large bowl, soak 250g chickpeas overnight in plenty of water with 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda. In the morning, drain and rinse under cold water.

Step

Bring 1.5l water to the boil in a large pan and add the chickpeas. Cover and simmer gently for about 1 hour, until just tender.

Step

Add 250g green beans (cut into 3cm pieces), 150g peeled and cubed pumpkin and 3 peeled and quartered pears and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, maintaining the heat until all the ingredients are tender.

Step

Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, sauté 1 roughly chopped onion in 50ml of the olive oil until turning translucent. Stir in 1 tsp pimentón and carry on cooking for about 30 seconds, then add 2 large peeled and chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 2-3 minutes then transfer the tomatoes and onion to a bowl and set aside.

Step

In the same pan, heat the remaining 50ml of olive oil and fry 1 small slice of bread, 1 garlic clove and 10 blanched almonds until golden. Remove from the heat, leave to cool and break the bread into pieces.

Step

Using a pestle and mortar, pound the fried bread, garlic and almonds to a fine paste; alternatively, pulse in a blender. Mix in 6-7 saffron filaments with its water, and 1 tbsp red wine vinegar.

Step

Add the paste to the frying pan with the tomatoes and onion and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Step

Mix the paste in with the chickpeas and gently heat through. Season to taste and serve hot with bread.

Cocina de Andalucía, by María José Sevilla (Ryland Peters & Small, £20), is out now

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