← Nouns Cooking · Spanish

Ingredients

• 400 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in plenty of water
• 500 g beef shin in one piece
• 2 chicken legs (or half a boiling hen)
• 150 g serrano ham end, in one piece
• 150 g salted or fresh pork belly (tocino), in one piece
• 1 beef marrow bone (optional)
• 3.5 l cold water
• 2 Carrot, peeled
• 1 Leek, trimmed and washed
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled
• 2 cooking chorizos
• 1 Morcilla (Spanish black pudding) (optional)
• ½ savoy cabbage, cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 cloves Garlic, sliced
• ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón dulce)
• 120 g fine noodles (fideos)
• Salt

Method

1. Put the beef, chicken, ham, pork belly and bone (if using) in your largest pot with the cold water. Bring slowly to the boil over medium heat, skimming off the grey foam for the first 10 min.
2. Drain the soaked chickpeas, put them in a net bag or large tea infuser if you have one, and add them to the boiling pot; they must go into hot water, not cold, or they stay hard. Turn the heat down, half-cover and simmer very gently for 2 hours.
3. Add the carrots and leek and simmer for 30 min, then add the potatoes and cook for 25–30 min more, until the potatoes are tender and the chickpeas are creamy. Season the broth with salt at this stage.
4. Meanwhile, simmer the chorizo and morcilla (if using) in a separate pan of water for 20 min, so their fat does not cloud the broth. In another pan, boil the cabbage for 15 min, drain well, then fry it in the oil with the garlic and paprika for 3 min.
5. Strain off about 1.5 l of the broth into a saucepan, bring it to the boil and cook the noodles for 3–4 min. Serve this soup first.
6. Lift out the chickpeas, vegetables and meats. Slice the meats and sausages and arrange everything on warm platters with the cabbage, ladling over a little broth to keep it all moist.

Tips

• Leftovers become ropa vieja (fried shredded meat and chickpeas) or croquetas the next day.
• Use 2 jars (about 800 g) of cooked chickpeas if you forgot to soak; add them for the last 20 min only.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Foods & Wines from Spain The Spanish Chef (Omar Allibhoy) Devour Tours