mediterranean chickpea stew
feat. fennel, white wine, and peppers; for a dinner party, or just for lunch
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Chickpeas are one of my favorite legumes- they are so tasty, versatile, and have a lovely toothsome yet tender texture that holds up well in soups and salads. I buy 25 lb bags of them in bulk (from Palouse), because they are a staple in my kitchen- especially in spring and summer, when we always have a cold chickpea + herb salad and a big container of hummus in the fridge for easy and nutritious meals. Chickpeas are one of the earliest cultivated legumes, being thought to have been cultivated in Turkey around 7000 BC, and are enjoyed as staple foods in many cultures. Whenever I soak chickpeas, I always laughingly think of the Italian fairytale in which a woman who wants children is given a 100 magical chickpeas which turn into chickpea children. Unfortunately it doesn’t end well, but I just adore the fantastical element of a bean in a fairy tale.
Today I am sharing the recipe for a chickpea stew that has a sort of Mediterranean fish soup flavor profile that we’ve been eating a lot lately for lunch, al fresco in the glorious spring sunshine and breeze. It has a flavorful base from slow cooking bell pepper, fennel, tomato, garlic, onion, and paprika in olive oil. I find it to be very satisfying and hearty from the chickpeas, especially with a nice hunk of bread to dip in the broth- and I think it is elegant enough to serve at a dinner party, too.
Here’s an imaginary menu for that dinner party: cook the stew in the morning. Steam some artichokes or make carciofi alla romana to serve at room temperature alongside. In the afternoon, bake a simple, unfrosted cake such as spanish almond cake or lemon olive oil cake, and decorate it with a light dusting of powdered sugar when cool. Before guests arrive, put out some nice marcona almonds to nibble on. You can make a large, crunchy green salad with vinaigrette and radishes with your guests after they arrive, or make ahead of time if you prefer. When it’s dinner time, warm the soup slowly and meanwhile toast plenty of good bread, rub the bread lightly with a garlic clove and drizzle it with olive oil. Pour some nice chilled glasses of the white wine you used to cook the stew and put out some buttery green Castelvetrano olives in a pretty bowl. If you can enjoy your meal outside, so much the better.
