There are so many reasons to love November in Zurich. Let me count some:

1. Beautiful autumn leaves paint the city with gorgeous yellow, red and brown
2. Persimmon, chestnuts and Cima di Rapa (leafy Italian broccoli) are in season
3. High-time for enjoying the Vacherin Mont D’or cheese, the deliciously stinky soft washed-rind cheese from the Jura region made with summer milk…
4. Christmas is just around the corner
5. It’s STEW season! My colorful iron cast pots get busy on the stove

So here’s a hearty Spanish-style stew recipe that will warm up your November evenings. Ingredients can be easily picked up in the local supermarkets, little effort to make, and a big pot of this will last 2-3 days. It freezes well too, so it’s great for weekday dinners. You just need some nice crusty bread to dunk into the soup – mmmmh!

Chickpea & Chorizo Stew 

Ingredients for 4-5 servings:

• 200g chorizo, case peeled and chopped in 2-3 cm length (bite-size). If you can’t find chorizo, use any kind of spiced sausage.
• 500g cooked chickpeas
• 3 medium size potatoes, cut in random small wedges like picture below
• 150g cima di rapa (Italian leafy broccoli), cut the hard stems away and chop the leafy part into 4-5 cm length. If you can’t get these, use bitter green leafy vegetables like kale or chard.
• 2 medium size onions, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, pressed
• 1.5L vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 Tablespoon of paprika powder
• Salt and pepper for seasoning

Steps:

1. Use a 24cm pot with thick bottom. Iron cast pots are the best for this dish! Heat up the pot over medium-high heat and drizzle 2-3 Tablespoon of olive oil.
2. Add in all the chopped onions and pressed garlic and sautee with a wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes until aromatic.
3. Add in the chopped chorizo and paprika powder and stir for 2-3 minutes to bring the spicy and porky aroma into the oil.
4. Add in the broth and the potatoes. Close the lid and cook for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked.
5. Add in the chickpeas and the cima di rapa and boil for another 20 minutes.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

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  Cut potatoes like this to make sharp edges. The edges will soften while cooking and give starch to the broth.

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  Cima di Rapa, washed and chopped

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  Sauté onion, garlic and chorizo

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  Use a wooden spoon!

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  Cima di Rapa should turn dark green after boiling 20min

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  The stew is ready! Yummm 🙂