Tasty Tapas: Garbanzos with Chorizo
By Liliana Moyano for Shine Latina
Growing up, my parents traveled quite often to attend educational seminars around the world. One year they attended a meeting in Madrid, Spain; while the business part of it lasted only one week, my parents decided to extend their stay and tour Europe. After what seemed like an eternity without my parents, they finally arrived back in Colombia filled with amazing culinary experiences and brand new recipes. My dad, the cook, gathered the family to try one of the dishes he enjoyed the most while in Spain. It was a blend of garbanzo beans with chorizo, bathed in a creole sauce with a thick garlic paste- a perfect blend of flavors! Unfortunately, I never bothered to ask my Dad for the recipe.
While vacationing in Spain last Summer, I went to a small tapas restaurant and- surprise!- found the same garbanzos with chorizo on the menu. I ordered it without hesitation, and when I took the first bite, I was that little girl again, living in Colombia on the day my Dad made the same recipe 20 years ago. As I savored the flavors, I figured out the different ingredients that made up this great garbanzo dish. Last weekend, I made it for my best friend, served it with some crusty bread, and she absolutely loved it.
Aquí les va...
Ingredients
(2 servings)
2 chorizo links, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tomato, chopped
½ white onion, chopped
2 tbsp. Spanish sofrito
8 oz. garbanzo beans, drained
Sea salt to taste
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Try this recipe with another Spanish-inspired dish, Camarones San Miguel
Directions
Place the chopped chorizo in a medium size pan at high heat, and let it cook until it releases the fat. Add the garlic cloves, tomato and onion, and let the mix simmer for 3 minutes. Turn down the heat to medium. Add Spanish sofrito and garbanzo beans to the mixture. Add sea salt to taste.
Remove from the heat, and drizzle with olive oil. Mix once more, and serve with crusty bread.
Notes
-Spanish sofrito is a type of tomato based sauce already blended with garlic, onions and peppers. It can be found in the Hispanic food section of most supermarkets. If you cannot find sofrito, make your own by mixing 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon chopped garlic and 1/4 each red pepper and onion, finely chopped.
