Potaje de Garbanzo (Cuban Chickpea Stew)
Here’s the thing about being Cuban. We don’t care what the weather says; cozy stews don’t take a summer vacation in my family. I grew up watching Mami make classic soups and stews even when it was 100ºF outside.
While this Potaje de Garbanzo wasn’t necessarily a weekly thing in our house, it’s one of those traditional Cuban dishes that just screams cozy. Chickpeas, chorizo, ham, sofrito, potatoes, this version stays pretty true to the original because honestly? The classic way is the best!
I’m not a fan of using canned chickpeas for this hearty garbanzo bean stew. I’m all for shortcuts, but dried garbanzo beans are a non-negotiable. I feel the same way about my potaje de lentejas.
Dry garbanzo beans have better texture, more flavor, and they don’t turn to mush after an hour of simmering. Plus, they’re cheap and last forever in your pantry. Trust me on this one. I have split peas sitting in my pantry right now waiting for me to make sopa de chicharos.
Anyways, I digress. Let me show you how to make this chickpea stew!
5-star review
“I’m a Cuban-American, but never really cook cuban food aside from picadillo. It was my first time making garbanzos and they came out delicious! Thanks for the recipe! Looking forward to trying out more of your recipes!”
—Patty D
How To Make Cuban Chickpea Stew
The magic of this stovetop chickpea stew is that it’s low-effort. First, the chickpeas simmer until they’re tender enough to mash (that’s your thickener).
Then you build your sofrito in a separate skillet, brown the chorizo and ham until they release all that smoky goodness, and let the tomato sauce and spices simmer together.
The potatoes then go in toward the end so they soak up all those rich flavors without falling apart. Most of this recipe is just patience, letting everything simmer and come together while you go do literally anything else.
This is one of those recipes that’s even better the next day, so don’t be shy about making the whole pot even if you’re cooking for two. The chickpea stew reheats easily, and honestly, it’s the kind of meal that should be on rotation.
Potaje de Garbanzo (Cuban Chickpea Stew)
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried chickpeas
- 3-4 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 medium white onion, finely diced
- 1 medium green pepper, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces smoked pork ham, cubed
- 2 small Spanish cured chorizo link
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup dry cooking wine, (vino seco)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt + pepper to taste
- 2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas. In a large bowl, soak the chickpeas in room temp water for 10 hours. Drain.
- Simmer the chickpeas. In a Dutch oven or large pot with a lid, add the chickpeas with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium-low heat. Simmer for 30 minutes, covered with a lid, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas have softened, adding 1/4 cup water at a time when necessary to prevent the stew from drying out.
- Make the sofrito. In a large skillet, heat oil at medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers. Saute for 5 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the ham and chorizo. Stir together with the veggies and saute for 2-3 minutes or until the chorizo and ham are lightly browned. Stir the tomato sauce, wine, cumin, paprika, bay leaf, and salt + pepper to taste. Simmer for another 4-5 minutes. Set aside.
- Mash the chickpeas. After 30 minutes of simmering, the chickpeas should have softened. If they’re still firm, continue to simmer for another 10-15 minutes until they have softened. Remove 1/4 cup of the softened chickpeas from the pot and mash them with a fork. Add the mashed chickpeas, the sofrito, and the potatoes into the Dutch oven. Add more water if needed.
- Continue to cook the stew, covered, for another 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Remove bay leaf. The chickpea stew can be served immediately unless you prefer a thicker consistency. For a thicker consistency, simmer for an extra 10-15 minutes. Serve by itself or over white rice. Enjoy!
I have made this a number of times. It is big hit! Delicious
So happy to hear, Jane! Thank you for your comment!
This was delicious. I followed the recipe as written with the addition of smoked pork neck. It turned out great. Almost as good as “mi mama”! Thank you.
So happy to hear that, Gabriel! Thank you for sharing!
Excellent recipe! This is the way my late Mom taught me how to make potaje de garbanzos. I am making it now for some friends. We are having a potaje party tomorrow. I tweak it a bit: Instead of using oil, I sautée tocino and render its fat before adding the onions and the green pepper. I also add ham hocks till the meat falls off the bone, then add the meat to the rest of the potaje. Then do everything else just like in your recipe. The result, as my Mom would say “levantan a un muerto!” Saludos desde Miami!
A family friend did one of your dessert recipes and it was delicious so I asked her for the recipe and she texted me a link to your website. I love your site so many recipes. Today I did the Potaje de Garbanzo and it was delicious I froze the leftover for another night. I expect to do other dishes soon.
Used what I had on hand in the pantry today. It came out great!! Thank you.
I’m a Cuban-American, but never really cook cuban food aside from picadillo. It was my first time making garbanzos and they came out delicious! Thanks for the recipe! Looking forward to trying out more of your recipes!
So exciting, Patty! Happy you loved it!