Spanish · Authentic-ish Spanish
Garbanzos con Espinacas
453 kcal a serving, against 567 for the traditional version. That is 114 kcal off, or 20%, with 21.5g of protein. Serves 4. 50 minutes.
What the traditional version is
You fry cubes of white bread and a good handful of almonds in a generous amount of olive oil until they're golden and fragrant. Then you blitz them with garlic and paprika to make a thickening paste. Add this to a pan of chickpeas and wilted spinach, finish with a splash more oil and sometimes a scattering of extra nuts. The texture is creamy, the flavour is deep, and even a vegetarian would call it gutsy. Served hot, with or without a poached egg on top, depending on your bar and your Spanish.
What changed, and what each change costs
Bread and almonds toasted dry, not fried in oil
Most of the oil in the classic goes on frying bread and nuts. Toasting them gently in a dry frying pan and blending them with stock gives you the same thick texture, holds the aroma, and keeps your hands clean.
What it costs you. You lose the layer of fried nuttiness that only comes from proper browning in oil. It's not as luxurious - you can taste the spinach and chickpeas more, but you won't taste the ghosts of golden bread.
Olive oil cut from 70g to 12g, used just for finishing
Cutting nearly all of the oil removes about a quarter of the dish's energy and tricks your arteries into loving you slightly more. The tiny slug at the end brings back a little gloss and helps the paprika sing.
What it costs you. The mouthfeel drops a notch. It's not that plush, slippery texture you'd expect after a night out, but the olive oil on top makes up for some of it. If you're a purist, stop reading and pour in the full 70g.
Protein kicked up with extra chickpeas and a bit less bread
Upping the chickpea load and nudging down the bread shifts the dish squarely towards the muscle side of the spreadsheet. You get a denser bowl, and the paste still thickens well enough. No one's mistaking it for a protein shake, but it's better for you.
What it costs you. The paste is a touch less creamy, and the sauce isn't quite as velvety, but you'll get more actual food rather than just filler.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 567 | 453 |
| Protein | 19.8g | 21.5g |
| Fat | 31.1g | 15.1g |
| Saturated fat | 3.6g | 1.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 57.7g | 62.9g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 3.5g | 4.7g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Spanish prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, nuts, celery.
The method is in the book
No one will mistake this for the bar version when they're three glasses deep on Calle Feria. You miss out on the fried perfume, and the texture isn't quite as lush. Still, the extra chickpeas make it a meal, the spinach keeps its green flavour, and the sauce thickens enough to pass. If you want proper fried bread, go and order it - but if you want a weekday bowl that doesn't ask for a lie-down after, this does the job.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Spanish, along with 57 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.