It's a rich heavey Chickpea stew.
When eating this you need nothing more than crusty spanish or cuban bread or plain rice to eat it. And also raw salads as side dishes (example sliced cucumber, tomatoes, onion, fire roasted bell pepper with mojo de ajo) or for a more spanish style salad (rommaine lettuce, tomatoe, raw purple onion balsamic vinegar, EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil, pepper and salt)
Its a time consuming stew but its the BEST STEW/ SOUP I HAVE EVER HAD AND IS WAY BETTER THAN ALL THE OTHER TYPES OF SOUP IN MY OPINION!!!!!..
Everything is kinda eyeballed and not really measured just follow ur intstincts hopefully they dont suck.
INGREDIENTS:
-1 lbs about 2 cups dried garbanzos (soaked overnight)
-1 Pound or more of either Pork Shoulder or Beef Stew Meat cut into 1 inch pieces
-2 dry Bay Leafs
-1/2 tsp. dried Oregano
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-Salt to taste
-Water (enough ot fill a pot)
-1/2 of chopped minced onion
-4-5 garlic cloves minced and crushed
-1/2 Bell Pepper any color minced
-1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-2 cups Calabaza (Japanese, Banana, or Butternut Squash) medium large chunks
-1 whole Napa Cabbage or other type of cabbage (optional but I think you should Nappa Cabbage is the best for this dish I love it but had none so I used regular cabbage)
-2 large Potatoes or 4 medium or 6 small cut in halfs a few only
-2 Spanish Chorizo NOT MEXICAN CHORIZO! (its a dry cured sausage if you cant find it use a hotlink sausage buit it'll be spicy and will not taste as great)
-Saffron threads a few to make yellow or Annatto seed powder, Achiote seed powder, or Bijol (any of the ones mentioned will work to make it yellow)
DIRECTIONS
(1) Soak chickpeas overnight with lots of water and salt. Next day drain and wash 2-3 times.
(2) Bring to a boil add meat cleaned and chopped with salt. Scoop all the scum that floats to top (the brown).
(3) Add 2 bay leafs, oregano, salt to taste. Boil making sure that you have everything submerged about 2 inches for about 40 minutes covered on low heat until chickpeas are tender. Meanwhile chop up everything, prep everything and have all ingredients on hand.
(4) Then when chickpeas are tender together with meat, heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add chorizo slices (with casing removed) and let it render some of it's grease and infuse the oil with it's flavor, now add bell peppers, onions, and garlic finely minced and sautee like 5-7 minutes.
(5) Dump it all into your stew, stir, add cumin, add "bijol" until yellow or saffron. Add potatoes, squash and boil covered for about 15 minutes. Then add Cabbage cut into large segments. If using Napa, just wash it well, and cut into 4 parts like making sure you keep individual leaves in tact, like just long and cut into 4 parts long wise (I don't know how to explain it).Simmer cabbage for 5 minutes and make sure to check if it needs more salt.
