Extremaduran Lenten Stew: Recipe with Noodles and Cod

The Lenten stew eaten in Extremadura

In Extremadura, the Lenten stew has its own version. It doesn't contain spinach. It doesn't have a hard-boiled egg on top. It contains noodles. And that changes everything.

The Extremaduran Lenten stew is a hearty, spoon-friendly dish, designed to feed large families with inexpensive ingredients. Chickpeas, desalted cod, and thick noodles cooked in a broth with Pimentón de la Vera (the authentic, smoked kind, from there) and a sofrito with plenty of garlic.

It's the kind of dish you find in the villages of Cáceres and Badajoz throughout Lent. In the taverns of Trujillo, in the inns of Extremaduran Siberia, in the country houses of La Serena. Each family makes it slightly differently, but Pimentón de la Vera is always present.

Ingredients for 6 people

• 400 g dried chickpeas (or 2 400 g cans)
• 350 g desalted cod in thick pieces
• 200 g thick noodles (No. 4 or thick vermicelli)
• 1 large onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 ripe tomato
• 2 teaspoons Pimentón de la Vera (sweet or a mix of sweet and spicy)
• 1 bay leaf
• Extra virgin olive oil — 5 tablespoons
• Salt
• Water or fish broth — approximately 2 liters

Optional: 1 dried choricero pepper (or 1 tablespoon choricero pepper pulp).

Step-by-step preparation

1. Soak chickpeas (the night before)

Place the chickpeas in warm salted water for 10-12 hours. If using canned, drain and set aside.

2. Cook the chickpeas (50 minutes)

Place the chickpeas in a pot with cold water, the bay leaf, and a dash of oil. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Cook for 50-60 minutes until tender. In a pressure cooker, 18-20 minutes from when the valve rises.

Reserve the chickpeas in their broth. You will need this broth to cook the noodles.

3. The Extremaduran sofrito (10 minutes)

Finely chop the onion and slice the garlic. Heat the oil in a large pan. Sauté the onion for 6-7 minutes over medium heat until golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Grate the tomato into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat, add the Pimentón de la Vera, and stir quickly. The paprika only needs residual heat; if you burn it, it will taste bitter.

If using choricero pepper, rehydrate it for 20 minutes in hot water, scrape out the pulp with a knife, and add it to the sofrito with the tomato.

4. Assemble the stew (20 minutes)

Pour the sofrito into the chickpea pot. Add water or fish broth until there is enough liquid (noodles absorb a lot; calculate twice as much liquid as seems necessary).

Bring to a boil and add the noodles. Cook according to the time indicated on the package (usually 8-10 minutes). Halfway through cooking, add the cod pieces.

The noodles and cod should finish cooking at the same time: the noodles al dente and the cod tender but intact.

5. Rest and serve

Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. The stew thickens as it rests. If it's too dry, add a little hot broth.

Serve in deep plates with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

What makes the Extremaduran stew different

Three things distinguish it from other Lenten stews:

• The noodles. They replace bread, rice, or hard-boiled eggs found in other versions. They are the hallmark of Extremaduran stew. They absorb the paprika broth and are full of flavor.
• Pimentón de la Vera. It's not the same as generic sweet paprika from the supermarket. That from La Vera is smoked with holm oak and oak wood for 10-15 days. It has a deep, earthy flavor, with a smoky aroma that permeates the entire dish.
• No leafy greens. Unlike the Andalusian stew with spinach, the Extremaduran version omits leafy greens. It is a drier, denser, more inland stew.

Tips for Extremaduran stew

• Add the noodles at the end. If you cook them from the beginning, they will overcook and the broth will become pasty. The noodles go in at the end, timed precisely.
• Calculate the broth carefully. Thick noodles absorb a lot of liquid. Use double the broth you think is necessary. You can always reduce, but you can't revive a dry stew.
• Use authentic Pimentón de la Vera. Look for the Protected Designation of Origin on the package. There are three types: sweet, bittersweet, and spicy. For this stew, mix sweet with a touch of spicy.
• Do not stir the cod. Place it on top, let it cook with the steam. If you stir too much, it will crumble and disappear among the chickpeas.
• Serve immediately. Unlike other stews, this one doesn't improve as much the next day because the noodles swell and absorb all the broth. If you have leftovers, heat them with an additional splash of broth or water.

Frequently asked questions about Extremaduran stew

What type of noodles should I use?

Thick noodles, No. 3 or No. 4. You can also use thick vermicelli or even cut macaroni. The important thing is that they have enough body not to fall apart in the broth.

Can I use regular sweet paprika if I don't have Pimentón de la Vera?

You can, but the result will be different. The smoky flavor is what defines Extremaduran stew. If you don't have Pimentón de la Vera, add a pinch of smoked paprika, which is sold in any supermarket. It's not the same, but it's close.

Can it be made without chickpeas?

Yes. In some villages, it is made only with noodles, cod, and sofrito. It's lighter but equally tasty. Add more cod (500 g) to compensate.

What's the difference from Manchego stew?

The Manchego Lenten stew is based on mashed potatoes with cod and walnuts (like atascaburras). It contains neither chickpeas nor noodles. They are completely different dishes even though they share the same name.

Can I add spinach or chard?

You can, but then it wouldn't be a strict Extremaduran stew. It would be a hybrid with the Andalusian version. If you want to add vegetables, opt for turnip greens or borage, which are used in some rural versions in Extremadura.