Make Ahead

A Warm Pan of Chickpeas, Chorizo, and Chèvre

by:
May 21, 2021
4.5
11 Ratings
A Warm Pan of Chickpeas, Chorizo, and Chèvre
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 25 minutes
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

This dish was born on a rainy day when I wanted something simple, warm, and comforting. It plays well with runny-yolked eggs, and works as well for brunch as it does for dinner. —Cristina Sciarra

Test Kitchen Notes

Forget any other meals you had planned for the day -- oh heck, for the week -- and make this right now. You will not regret it. This dish has a little something for everyone: a kick of spice from the chorizo, a hint of warmth from the roasted red peppers, heartiness from the chickpeas, a pop of green from the spinach, and some soothing creaminess from the chèvre. Sit down with a heaping portion and a fork and allow yourself to sink into its comfort. While you are at it, please send some my way -- I cannot stop thinking about it. —snowcitygirl

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 pinch kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 small white onion, thinly sliced into half moons
  • 3 roasted red peppers, packed in oil, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 chorizo sausages, chopped
  • 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup chèvre, crumbled
Directions
  1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide saucepan. Add the spinach and toss to coat. Heat the spinach until it begins to wilt, about 4 minutes, then add the red wine vinegar and a pinch of kosher salt. Remove the spinach into a bowl.
  2. Add the onion, the roasted red pepper, and the garlic to the pan. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the chorizo. (If the chorizo is not cured, make sure to cook it through, about 5 to 7 minutes.) Add the paprika and the cayenne. Add the chickpeas, then stir everything together. Taste and correct the salt, as needed.
  3. Stir in the reserved spinach, then the chives and the parsley, and finally top with the chèvre. Serve warm.
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Cristina Sciarra
Cristina is a writer, cook, and day job real estate developer. She studied literature, holds an MFA in Fiction Writing, and completed the Basic Cuisine course at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She lives in Jersey City with her husband--a Frenchman she met in Spain--and their sweet black cat, Minou. Follow her writings, recipes, publications and photography at theroamingkitchen.com.

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82 Reviews

Heidi B.
Heidi B. March 18, 2021
Admittedly, I, too crave this! I have made this several times with Spanish Chorizo (dry) 1/2 of a stick so probably 4 oz. Used a *very* small onion, lots of garlic, adjusted spices, put the spinach in at the end for a small wilt. A bit less goat cheese - maybe 2 ounces - and voila. Sooooo good.
 
Heidi B.
Heidi B. March 18, 2021
Oh and forgot to add, added 1/2 cup of diced tomatoes in place of the red bell peppers - a good sub BTW.
 
msmely
msmely July 21, 2019
I always end up doing this with frozen kale. I thaw the kale out in the fridge so it doesn't cool the pan down too much and then add it in at the end. It can handle a bit of cooking without going weird and I never have fresh spinach on hand.

I usually end up pumping up the smoked paprika and cayenne to my taste. With a good stir after the chevre is added the creaminess mixes throughout with the flavored oil and the starches from the chickpeas, creating a wonderful sauce.
 
Tenely S.
Tenely S. July 8, 2019
This is delicious! My first time using uncured chorizo. I used 10 oz bag of spinach and 2 cans of chickpeas to ensure leftovers. Next time I will add zucchini and maybe tomatoes.
 
Rebecca
Rebecca April 15, 2019
This was delicious! I substituted vegetarian sausage and red pepper oil for chorizo.
 
Angelasuppa
Angelasuppa February 3, 2019
This is a fantastic dish! I modified mine die to what I had in the fridge and substituted broccoli for spinach. I didn’t season with herbs just the spices. This dish was soo satisfying that after seconds I still craved more! Next time I will definitely go heavier on the greens. I wish I could post a photo of it. Serves closer to 4 as entree.
 
Meg G.
Meg G. September 26, 2018
Wow! This dish was incredible. Great flavor. Fairly quick to put together. Next time I would serve with baguette manchego and a salad. My boys found it too onion-y despite that I cut the amount in half which I strongly urge. This is a must-make!
 
DianeZ
DianeZ September 8, 2018
I made this as stated in the recipe, but wasn't sure how much chorizo to use. My husband bought 1 lb.ground, and I used it all. This was a fabulous dish! We both absolutely loved it, just the way it is. You could easily change it up, but my goodness, it is so tasty as is! Thank you!
 
Nicole
Nicole August 19, 2018
I made this as quick family dinner with the following adjustments: I used 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon espelette pepper instead of cayenne, shallot instead of garlic, fresh rather than roasted red pepper, and soy chorizo rather than regular chorizo. We served it with plain full fat yogurt and an arugula lemon salad. The husband and I loved it! The kid, not so much. We will definitely make this again, and will most likely deconstruct it to be more kid-friendly (adults can add veggies like spinach, onions and red peppers to their own plates, kids can add the veggies they like). We'll try it with regular chorizo next time, too. A keeper!
 
Melanie
Melanie July 23, 2018
I made this for my family this weekend. I felt that I would like it but I was worried about the family. They loved it!! I increased the vinegar and spices and next time I will definitely add more greens. This is now a staple recipe for me. The best part is that it can easily be adapted with whatever I have in the pantry/fridge. Thank you for this recipe!!
 
Briar R.
Briar R. July 16, 2018
I'd say this is a 3 as-written but a 4 with adjustment. The amount of vinegar and spices seemed small, and after tasting I doubled both the vinegar and the paprika. The heat level was perfect, though and didn't scare off my kids. I think next time I will add another good handful of spinach, too. It could have handled more greens.
 
Cristina S.
Cristina S. July 17, 2018
Hi Briar Rose, this is definitely a use-what's-in-your-pantry/crisper recipe, so feel free to adjust the seasonings to suit your tastes! Alternatively, I've used chard (in winter) and pea tendrils (in spring).
 
SJ H.
SJ H. March 7, 2018
I made this tonight with white beans instead of chickpeas and a lovely runny egg on top. Delicious. Definitely doesn't serve 6 though--I would say 4 for an entree with a delicious side salad.
 
Sarah
Sarah March 5, 2018
I hate peppers. Should I replace the roast peppers, or simply omit them? Otherwise this sounds fantastic.
 
Jer F.
Jer F. November 8, 2017
Great recipe!
Does anyone know what kind of skillet that is in picture 1 of 2 above?
 
Cristina S.
Cristina S. November 8, 2017
Hi Jer, I believe it is this pan, from this shop: https://food52.com/shop/products/376-turk-extra-high-edge-criss-cross-forged-iron-fry-pan
 
Jo
Jo October 28, 2016
I make this all the time--it is wonderfully adaptable to whatever you have on hand. I've made it with white beans instead of chick peas, swapped feta for the goat cheese, and subbed kale for the spinach. I also upped the vinegar to balance out the earthy/spicy notes from the cumin, paprika, and chorizo. A great pantry meal all-around.
 
Cristina S.
Cristina S. October 31, 2016
I'm so glad you liked it! I love adaptable recipes the best :)
 
Bee
Bee October 3, 2016
Sooooooooo good!! Felt like I was dining at a French bistro in my own dining room!
 
Cristina S.
Cristina S. October 31, 2016
Thanks so kind!
 
csegher
csegher March 9, 2016
Made this tonight using soy chorizo from trader joes crumbled up, and used feta because it's what I had. I also added sundries tomatoes because I had those in there too. The feta totally made the dish. Nice and cool and creamy with the kick from the cayenne and vinegar in the dish itself. Thanks so much really nice way to empty the fridge.
 
Cristina S.
Cristina S. October 31, 2016
Sounds perfect!
 
Clea M.
Clea M. March 6, 2016
I hardly leave comments, but this was good enough to do so. Amazing dish! Will repeat often. We served it with fusilli.
 
Cristina S.
Cristina S. March 6, 2016
Thanks, Clea!!
 
ChefJune
ChefJune March 1, 2016
What kind of chorizo did you use, Cristina? Mexican or Spanish? they are so different from each other.
 
Cristina S.
Cristina S. March 1, 2016
I know, they are so different. In the original recipe, I used Spanish, although in subsequent makings, I've subbed fresh chorizo. This is a use-what's-in-the-fridge meal. I honestly think they both work here!
 
Emma
Emma February 3, 2016
This was so tasty and easy to adapt to whatever you have in the cupboard :) I swapped a few things like red cabbage instead of spinach as that's what I had and I didn't have the cheese in at the time, but it was still lovely. And I had it for dinner - reckon this would work for any meal!
 
Stephanie G.
Stephanie G. January 23, 2016
I loved this. I used fresh Mexican chorizo and removed it from the casings to break up into small bites. I used chard and some left over baby spinach. It was super! Just amazed at the flavor of the dish with such humble ingredients and quick prep.