Ingredients
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1 lb chickpeas, dried
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4 cups water
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6 garlic cloves, peeled
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2 bay leaves
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1/4 lb thick slab bacon or 1/4 lb salt pork
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1 ham bone or 1 beef bone
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2 tablespoons olive oil (Spanish for authenticity)
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2 slices bread, 1/2-inch thick (crusty or rustic style)
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1/4 cup Spanish ham (Spanish mountain cured or prosciutto) or 1/4 cup prosciutto, diced (Spanish mountain cured or prosciutto)
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1 medium onion, finely chopped
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1/2 teaspoon paprika
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1 lb swiss chard or 1 lb collard greens, coarsely chopped
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salt, to taste
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2 hard-boiled eggs
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1 lb small red potato, peeled (about 2 inches in diameter or larger potatoes cut in 2 inch chunks)
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10 blanched almonds, finely chopped
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas overnight in a large pot of cold water to cover; drain.
- In the large pot combine chickpeas, 4 cups water, garlic, bay leaves, slab bacon, and bone; bring to a boil, cover and simmer about 1 1/2 hours.
- Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the oil and saute the bread slices until golden on both sides.
- Remove and reserve the bread.
- Add the ham and onion to the skillet; saute until the onion has wilted.
- Stir in the paprika, and remove the pan from the heat.
- Add the onion mixture to the chickpeas.
- Add the greens, potatoes, and salt to taste to the chickpeas and continue cooking 30 minutes or more, or until the chickpeas and potatoes are tender.
- Remove the ham or beef bone.
- In a mortar or food processor, combine the sauteed bread, almonds, 2 Tablespoons of the chickpeas from the pot, and the yolks of the hard-boiled eggs; mash to a paste.
- Stir the paste into the stew, cover and let sit 10 minutes before serving.
- Chop the hard-boiled egg whites.
- Divide into soup bowls and garnish with chopped hard-boiled egg whites.