This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)
Well here is “the Stew” one of many “stews” that I’m sure you will see in my blog, but in Spain, we call it “Potaje”. A “Potaje” is a Spanish word that refers to the base of just about every Spanish stew. The base of this particular stew starts with a “Sofrito” . Sofritos are present in all Hispanic cooking, and it acts as a base upon which the rest of the recipe is built.There are a lot of variations of this dish depending on the season, and regional location where the dish is cooked. This magnificent earthy dish is perfect for the cold days of winter, but I usually cook it all year around. This particular ” Potaje” or stew is a homely dish made from garbanzo beans, pumpkin, green beans, tomatoes, and let me break the news to you: it IS NOT spicy. I’m not sure why some people think that Spaniards eat tacos, enchiladas, and spicy food…but that is not the case, Spain’s cuisine is not spicy at all. Having said that, the flavor of this particular dish improves if made a day ahead, and the recipe below feeds a few. I hope you enjoy this Potaje, it is certainly one of my favorites, and if you ever make it, I would love to know what you think.
Also, don’t forget to take a picture, and tag me! #Papeobypepi
The first thing we are going to do is preparing the sofrito. A "Sofrito" is the basic foundation in many of the most important Spanish dishes, and it consists of a mixture of sauteed ingredients.
In a medium size casserole, add the olive oil (enough to cover the base of the casserole).
Add the onions, and garlic, and cook for 15 minutes or until the onions are soft and transparent.
Add the green peppers, and sauté for another 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, and let it simmer until the tomato sauce is reduced, and the"sofrito" starts to look like a tomato sauce.
Season with salt to your taste.
Once the sofrito is cooked, run the cooked tomato mixture through a food processor.
Add the chickpeas, pumpkin, French Green Beans, potatoes, chorizo, paprika, ham bones, Bay leaves, salt to your taste, and add enough water to cover all the ingredients.
Let it boil on medium heat for 1 hour or until the chickpeas are tender. Add more water if needed.
Ingredients
Directions
The first thing we are going to do is preparing the sofrito. A "Sofrito" is the basic foundation in many of the most important Spanish dishes, and it consists of a mixture of sauteed ingredients.
In a medium size casserole, add the olive oil (enough to cover the base of the casserole).
Add the onions, and garlic, and cook for 15 minutes or until the onions are soft and transparent.
Add the green peppers, and sauté for another 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, and let it simmer until the tomato sauce is reduced, and the"sofrito" starts to look like a tomato sauce.
Season with salt to your taste.
Once the sofrito is cooked, run the cooked tomato mixture through a food processor.
Add the chickpeas, pumpkin, French Green Beans, potatoes, chorizo, paprika, ham bones, Bay leaves, salt to your taste, and add enough water to cover all the ingredients.
Let it boil on medium heat for 1 hour or until the chickpeas are tender. Add more water if needed.