Chickpea, Cod Tripe, and Spinach Stew

Lenten Stew: History and Tradition

Chickpea and cod stew is a dish born of necessity and faith. During the 40 days of Lent, Catholic tradition prohibited the consumption of meat. In a Spain where animal protein was already scarce for the popular classes, salt cod and legumes became the pillars of the diet.

What began as a religious restriction ended up creating one of the most deeply rooted dishes in Spanish gastronomy. Each region has its version: in Andalusia, it includes hard-boiled egg and saffron; in Castile, it is thickened with fried bread; in the Basque Country, kokotxas are added; and in Catalonia, Lenten botifarra is incorporated. But the skeleton is always the same: chickpeas + cod + spinach + a well-made sofrito.

At Mercat del Ninot, we have been seeing how the consumption of cod tripe and salt cod skyrockets every March for over 30 years. It is a dish that is still alive, passed down from generation to generation, and has a flavor that no gastronomic innovation has managed to improve.

What is Cod Tripe and Why Use This Cut?

Cod tripe is the viscera of the cod: the stomach and intestines, cured in salt like the rest of the fish. It has a unique texture, between gelatinous and meaty, with a more intense flavor than the loin and a capacity to absorb flavors from the stew that makes it the perfect piece for a stew.

Traditional stew uses shredded cod (loins), and that's fine. But tripe provides something the loin cannot: gelatin. This gelatin slowly dissolves during cooking and naturally thickens the stew broth, without the need to add flour or thickeners. The result is a full-bodied, unctuous broth that coats every chickpea.

Furthermore, tripe is significantly more economical than loins. A chickpea stew with cod tripe is a luxurious dish at an everyday spoon-meal price.

Complete Ingredients (6 servings)

Main Ingredients

• 400 g dried chickpeas (milky or Castilian variety, whichever you prefer)
• 300 g cod tripe (desalted; see instructions below)
• 300 g fresh spinach (or 200 g frozen)
• 100 g Iberian bacon (or cured pancetta; optional for non-Lenten version)

For the Sofrito

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 ripe tomatoes, grated
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika from La Vera
• 1 bay leaf
• Extra virgin olive oil

To Enhance the Broth

• 1 ham bone (small; optional for non-Lenten version)
• 1 medium potato (peeled and diced; thickens the broth)
• A few saffron threads (or food coloring)
• Ground cumin (a pinch)
• Black pepper
• Salt (carefully: the tripe is already salty)

For Serving

• 2 hard-boiled eggs (chopped; traditional in Andalusia)
• Crusty bread (for dipping, non-negotiable)
• Extra virgin olive oil, raw, for finishing

Step 1: Soaking the Chickpeas

Chickpeas need a minimum soak of 12 hours in warm water with a teaspoon of salt. This is not optional: without soaking, chickpeas take twice as long to cook, remain hard inside, and their skin detaches.

• Water: use warm water (not cold). At 20-25 °C, soaking is 30% more efficient than with cold tap water.
• Ratio: 3 parts water to 1 part chickpeas. They swell a lot.
• Salt in soaking water: yes. Contrary to popular myth, salt in the soaking water helps soften the chickpea skin. Chickpeas soaked with salt are tenderer and have a better texture.
• Simultaneous desalting of tripe: take the opportunity to desalt the cod tripe at the same time. It needs 36-48 hours in cold water, changing the water every 8 hours. Plan ahead.

Step 2: Cooking the Chickpeas

Chickpea cooking has a golden rule that many people don't know: always start with hot water. If you put chickpeas in cold water and bring it to a boil, the sudden change in temperature hardens the skin and causes them to peel.

1. Drain the chickpeas from the soaking water. Discard that water.
2. In a large pot, heat 2 liters of water until it is hot but not boiling (about 60-70 °C).
3. Add the chickpeas, bay leaf, ham bone (if using), and diced potato.
4. Turn up the heat. When it comes to a boil, reduce to medium-low heat. Skim off any impurities that rise to the surface.
5. Cook for 1.5-2 hours over gentle heat (never at a rolling boil) until the chickpeas are tender to the bite. The exact time depends on the variety and freshness of the chickpea (those from the current year cook faster).

The "scare" trick: every 30 minutes, add half a glass of cold water to the pot. This thermal change causes the chickpea skin to contract and then relax, softening it. It's a grandma's trick that really works.

In a pressure cooker: 25-30 minutes from when the valve rises. Faster, but you lose control over the texture.

Step 3: Sofrito and Stew Base

While the chickpeas are cooking, prepare the sofrito that will give character to the stew.

1. In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. If using Iberian bacon, cut it into small cubes and fry it first until it releases its fat and turns golden (5 minutes). Remove and set aside.
2. In the same fat, fry the chopped onion over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes until it is well poached and sweet.
3. Add the chopped garlic (3 of them chopped; 1 whole crushed) and fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add the grated tomato and cook for 8-10 minutes until the tomato water evaporates and the sofrito darkens. This is the "concentrating" phase: the longer you cook the tomato, the deeper the flavor of the stew will be.
5. Remove from heat and add the paprika from La Vera. Mix quickly: paprika burns in seconds if it touches hot oil directly. Off the heat, it toasts gently without becoming bitter.
6. Pour the sofrito into the chickpea pot. Add the saffron threads (previously toasted for 10 seconds in a dry pan) and the pinch of cumin.

Step 4: Cod Tripe and Spinach

The cod tripe is added 30 minutes before the end of cooking. Do not add them from the beginning or they will completely disintegrate and lose their texture. We want them to retain some shape, to be noticeable in every spoonful.

1. Cut the desalted tripe into pieces about 3-4 cm. Similar in size to the chickpeas, so everything can be eaten comfortably with a spoon.
2. When the chickpeas have been cooking for 1-1.5 hours (depending on whether they are almost tender), add the tripe to the pot. Stir gently.
3. Cook for 20 minutes over low heat. The tripe will release gelatin that will thicken the broth. You will see how the liquid goes from watery to unctuous.
4. Add the fresh spinach (washed and with thick stems removed). If frozen, no need to defrost: they go straight into the pot.
5. Cook for 5-8 more minutes until the spinach is tender but retains its green color (if you cook it too long, it turns brown and bitter).
6. Adjust salt and pepper. Be careful with the salt: cod tripe and ham bone already add salinity. Taste before adding anything.

If you have reserved the golden bacon, add it now along with the spinach. The contrast of crispy bacon with tender chickpeas and gelatinous tripe is one of the secrets of a good stew.

Step 5: Finishing, Resting, and Serving

A stew always tastes better the next day. Flavors integrate, chickpeas absorb more broth, and the gelatin from the tripe thickens the sauce once cold and then releases it when reheated, creating an even more unctuous texture.

1. Turn off the heat and let the stew rest for a minimum of 15 minutes, covered, before serving. If you can, prepare it the day before and reheat it the next day.
2. Serve in deep plates or bowls, with a chopped hard-boiled egg on top, a generous drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil, and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Accompany with thickly sliced crusty bread. Bread is part of the dish, not an accompaniment: it is used to mop up the broth, and a stew without bread is like a paella without rice.

Broth texture: a good chickpea stew is neither a soup nor a dry casserole. The broth should be thick but fluid, capable of coating the back of a spoon. If it's too liquid, mash 4-5 chickpeas with a fork against the side of the pot and mix: the released starch will thicken the broth. If it's too thick, add a little hot water.

Regional and Modern Variations

Chickpea and cod stew has as many versions as there are provinces in Spain. Here are the most relevant ones:

• Andalusian stew: adds a paste of almonds, fried garlic, and saffron that is ground in a mortar and incorporated at the end. The result is thicker and with a nutty touch.
• Manchego stew: replaces spinach with chard and adds a sofrito of mashed fried garlic (ajada).
• Galician stew: incorporates turnip greens (grelos) instead of spinach and uses cod loins instead of tripe.
• Modern version (restaurant): serves the chickpeas as a cream (puréed), with a confit cod tripe on top and raw baby spinach. Same flavor, 21st-century presentation.
• Strict Lenten version: without bacon or ham bone. Replaces bacon fat with good extra virgin olive oil and the umami of the bone with a pinch of kombu seaweed in the chickpea cooking water.

Tips for a Perfect Stew

• The potato thickens: a diced potato cooked with the chickpeas partially disintegrates and naturally thickens the broth. It is a better thickener than flour.
• Never add salt at the beginning of chickpea cooking (except in the soaking water). Salt during cooking hardens the skin. Season at the end, when the chickpeas are already tender.
• Paprika always off the heat: paprika from La Vera burns in 3 seconds in hot oil and becomes bitter. Remove the pan from the heat before adding it.
• Current year's chickpeas: if you can, buy chickpeas from the current year's harvest. Chickpeas 2-3 years old take much longer to cook and never get as tender.
• Do not stir excessively: chickpeas break easily if stirred with a spoon. Move the pot in gentle circles, without using utensils.

Frequently Asked Questions