Chef Isabel
Caldo de Millo Canario
Caldo de Millo is the Canary Islands' clear corn-cob broth: piñas de millo, papas, calabaza, and cilantro simmered gently until the cobs sweeten the water and the bowl stays light.
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Garbanzas Compuestas Canarias
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Garbanzas compuestas are Canary Islands spoon food: large chickpeas, a dark tomato and pimentón sofrito, potatoes, and a little pork cooked until the broth clings to every spoonful.
Soups & Stews
Spanish
Comfort Food
Budget Friendly
One Pot
25 min
Active Time
2 hr 15 min cook•2 hr 40 min total
Yield6 servings
Garbanzas compuestas are from Canarias, and the word matters: garbanzas are the larger chickpeas the islands like for this stew, cooked with a garlic, tomato, pepper, and pimentón sofrito, plus a little pork to season the pot. This is cocina de cuchara, spoon food, built to feed a table without fuss. It is not a thin chickpea soup. It should be thick, red-gold, and glossy, with the potatoes soft at the edges and the chickpeas holding their shape.
The method that decides it is the sofrito, the slow onion base. Cook the onion and pepper low until they collapse, then add the tomato and let it reduce until the oil shows at the edge. That is where the stew gets its sweetness and body. Rush it and you will still have chickpeas, yes, but not garbanzas compuestas as they are eaten there.
If you are far from the islands, use large dried chickpeas from a shop with good turnover. If you can't find Spanish chorizo, use a mild cured chorizo with pimentón, not a fresh sausage, and know the broth will be less smoky. No hace falta haber pisado España. Soak them overnight, cook them gently, and keep the sofrito patient. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Garbanzas compuestas belong to the Canary Islands, especially the home and bar cooking of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, where chickpeas were stretched with preserved pork, potatoes, tomato, and spices from the Atlantic larder. The dish reflects the islands' habit of making a filling pot from what keeps well: dried legumes, salted or cured meat, potatoes, garlic, pimentón, bay, and thyme. It often appears as an enyesque, a small shared plate, but at home it is plainly a stew, thick enough to stand as the meal.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
large dried chickpeas
Quantity
500g
soaked overnight
pork ribs
Quantity
250g
cut into small pieces
panceta or bacon slab
Quantity
150g
cut into 2cm pieces
Spanish cured chorizo
Quantity
150g
sliced thickly
waxy potatoes
Quantity
500g
peeled and cut into 3cm chunks
onion
Quantity
1 large
finely chopped
red pepper
Quantity
1
finely chopped
garlic
Quantity
4 cloves
minced
ripe tomatoes, or canned crushed tomatoes
Quantity
400g
grated if fresh
dry white wine
Quantity
80ml
olive oil
Quantity
3 tablespoons
sweet pimentón
Quantity
1 teaspoon
ground cumin
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
bay leaves
Quantity
2
dried thyme
Quantity
1 teaspoon
black pepper
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
water or light chicken stock
Quantity
1.5 litres, plus more as needed
salt
Quantity
to taste
chopped parsley (optional)
Quantity
2 tablespoons
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| large dried chickpeassoaked overnight | 500g |
| pork ribscut into small pieces | 250g |
| panceta or bacon slabcut into 2cm pieces | 150g |
| Spanish cured chorizosliced thickly | 150g |
| waxy potatoespeeled and cut into 3cm chunks | 500g |
| onionfinely chopped | 1 large |
| red pepperfinely chopped | 1 |
| garlicminced | 4 cloves |
| ripe tomatoes, or canned crushed tomatoesgrated if fresh | 400g |
| dry white wine | 80ml |
| olive oil | 3 tablespoons |
| sweet pimentón | 1 teaspoon |
| ground cumin | 1/2 teaspoon |
| bay leaves | 2 |
| dried thyme | 1 teaspoon |
| black pepper | 1/4 teaspoon |
| water or light chicken stock | 1.5 litres, plus more as needed |
| salt | to taste |
| chopped parsley (optional) | 2 tablespoons |
Equipment Needed
- •Large heavy pot or olla, 5 to 6 litres
- •Frying pan for the sofrito
- •Skimming spoon
Instructions
- 1
Soak the garbanzas
Put the chickpeas in a large bowl, cover them with plenty of cold water, and leave them overnight. Drain them before cooking. This is not the place to guess; a full soak lets the centres soften before the skins split. Pésalo, no lo adivines.
If your chickpeas are old, they may stay hard no matter how long you cook them. Buy from a shop where dried beans move quickly. - 2
Start the pot
Put the drained chickpeas in a heavy pot with the pork ribs, panceta, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper, and 1.5 litres water or light stock. Bring it slowly to a boil, skim the grey foam, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook until the chickpeas are almost tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on their age.
- 3
Cook the sofrito
While the chickpeas cook, warm the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and red pepper with a pinch of salt and cook slowly for 18 to 20 minutes, until soft, sweet, and dark gold at the edges. Add the garlic for 1 minute, then the grated tomato, and cook until it thickens and the oil begins to show around the pan. That slow reduction is what gives the stew its body.
- 4
Season the base
Stir the pimentón and cumin into the sofrito off the heat for a few seconds, just until fragrant. Put the pan back on the heat, pour in the white wine, and let it bubble down for 2 minutes. Do not scorch the pimentón; burnt pimentón turns bitter and follows you all the way to the table.
- 5
Combine and simmer
Scrape the sofrito into the chickpea pot. Add the sliced chorizo and the potatoes, then add a little more water if the stew looks dry; the liquid should just cover everything. Simmer gently, uncovered or partly covered, until the potatoes are tender and the broth is thick and red-gold, about 30 to 40 minutes. Shake the pot now and then instead of stirring hard, so the chickpeas stay whole.
- 6
Rest and serve
Taste for salt only at the end, because the pork and chorizo bring their own. Rest the pot off the heat for 10 minutes so the potatoes loosen a little starch and the broth clings to the chickpeas. Serve in deep bowls with parsley if you like, and bread for the sauce left at the bottom. Tal como se hace allí, simple and useful.
Chef Tips
- •Use large dried chickpeas if you can. The Canary name garbanzas points to that bigger, rounder chickpea, and it gives the stew a better bite than small chickpeas.
- •Canned chickpeas can save the day, but they change the dish. Use three 400g cans, drained, simmer the pork first until tender, then add the chickpeas only for the last 25 minutes so they don't collapse.
- •Spanish cured chorizo gives the right pimentón depth. If you use a milder local cured sausage, add another 1/2 teaspoon sweet pimentón and expect a softer, less smoky broth.
- •This stew is better after a rest. Make it a few hours ahead, or the day before, and reheat it gently with a splash of water if it has thickened too much.
Advance Preparation
- •Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water, at least 10 to 12 hours.
- •The stew can be cooked one day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat slowly, loosening with a little water, and adjust salt only after it is hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 610g)
Calories
775 calories
Total Fat
38 g
Saturated Fat
11 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
27 g
Cholesterol
60 mg
Sodium
1400 mg
Total Carbohydrates
74 g
Dietary Fiber
18 g
Sugars
14 g
Protein
34 g
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