Easy Puchero recipe

This easy puchero recipe is perfect for chilly winter evenings. There are a number of variations, but the base is meat, veggies and chickpeas. Here is a really simple version that you can make at home. Enjoy!

Ingredients for this easy puchero recipe

• One stew pack of vegetables. Most supermarkets do these wrapped and ready, but you can always swap out for 3 or 4 carrots, a suede or turnip and a large onion.
• Two large potatoes.
• Half a white cabbage – sliced (not too thinly).
• One litre of stock (pick your favourite flavour from either meat or vegetable).
• 500 grams of chickpeas (from a jar is best).
• Half a kilo of diced pork (any cut will do, but the cheaper cuts have more fat which releases more flavour.
• One large chicken breast – diced.
• A good glug of olive oil (not extra virgin).
• 3 or 4 peeled and crushed garlic cloves.

Method

If you have bought a jar of prepared chickpeas then well done. But if you’ve bought the dried variety you’ll need to soak them overnight first. Right – onto the recipe.

• Peel and dice all your vegetables. Try to make them all the same size so they cook evenly.
• In a large saucepan, pour a good glug of olive oil and heat gently.
• Throw in the pork and the chicken and cook gently until it starts to brown.
• Remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and top up with another glug of oil if necessary.
• Toss in all the vegetables and coat well in the oil. Cook gently for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Now throw the meat back in and mix well.
• Add the garlic and mix well.
• Drain your chickpeas and give them a quick rinse under the cold tap before throwing them into the pot.
• Pour in your stock.
• Bring to the boil and let it boil for about 5 minute.
• Turn the heat down to a very gentle simmer. Cover and leave it for about an hour or until the meat is tender.
• Now throw the chickpeas in and top up with a little water if you think it needs it.
• Leave to simmer for another 20 minutes or until the chickpeas are soft.
• Add salt and black pepper to taste.
• Serve hot with a shedload of bread.

Spain Buddy tips

Because this is a stew, you can go nuts with the ingredients.

• If you’ve used a hearty meat stock, throw in a glass of red wine at the same time as the chickpeas… or white wine if you’ve used vegetable stock.
• Feel free to use beef instead of pork or turkey instead of chicken – it’s stew!!
• Feel free to add a bit of paprika or a pinch of crushed chillies for extra heat.
• Try a dollop of mustard when browning the heat.
• I like to add about 200 grams of sliced chorizo but I omit the paprika if I do.
• Some people like to add morcilla. It’s not my thing – but go for it if you like that stuff.
• I love it with diced belly pork – melt in the mouth goodness!!
• If you’re not crazy about chickpeas, you can use rice or noodles instead.

Above all, this dish is supposed to be hearty and filling.

Elle Draper

Elle, along with Alan, is the owner of Spain Buddy and the busy web design business – Spain Web Design by Gandy-Draper.
Born a “Norverner”, she then spent most of her life “Dann Saff” before moving to Spain in 2006. Elle’s loves are Alan, the internet, dogs, good food, and dry white wine – although not necessarily in that order.