Chickpea and Spinach Pot Colored with Saffron

Chickpeas and fresh spinach simmer in saffron-bloomed stock with smoked paprika, onion, and a bright lemon finish. The golden pot echoes Red Threads at First Light, when La Mancha pickers gathered crocus stigmas at dawn before the sun wilted the bloom.

Serves 4

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Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked chickpeas
• 10 oz fresh spinach
• pinch saffron threads
• 1/4 cup warm vegetable stock
• 1 medium onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lemon

Instructions

1. 1Bloom the saffron threads in the warm vegetable stock for 8 minutes.
2. 2Finely chop the onion and garlic, then sauté them in olive oil with the bay leaf in a large pot over medium heat until soft and fragrant.
3. 3Add the smoked paprika and chickpeas, stir for 1 minute, then pour in the saffron stock and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. 4Stir in the spinach leaves and cook until just wilted, finish with a squeeze of lemon juice, and adjust seasoning before serving hot.