Cozy up with this Spanish Garbanzo Stew! Made in the Instant Pot with dried chickpeas, smoky chorizo, ham, and potatoes, this hearty one-pot meal is packed with protein and has 17 grams of fiber per serving.
Spanish Garbanzo Bean Soup
We’ve officially entered cozy soup and stew season here in New York, and with the cooler weather, I’ve been making more of my Instant Pot recipes. This Spanish Garbanzo Stew is my Instant Pot version of a family recipe my cousin makes with dried chickpeas, smoky chorizo, ham, and potatoes. It’s also packed with protein and has 17 grams of fiber per serving, which makes it an easy way to get more fiber into my day. Even my husband, who isn’t usually a fan of chickpeas, loves this soup and goes back for seconds.
Why This Spanish Garbanzo Stew Works
I love taking family recipes and finding ways to make them a little easier without losing what makes them special. Making this garbanzo stew in the Instant Pot means I can start with dried chickpeas and still get a rich, slow-cooked flavor without spending hours at the stove.
- High in fiber: Each serving has 17 grams of fiber, which helps me get closer to my daily fiber goal.
- Good source of protein: Chickpeas, chorizo, and ham make this a hearty, protein-packed meal.
- One-pot meal: Everything cooks right in the Instant Pot, which means less cleanup.
- No canned chickpeas needed: The Instant Pot cooks dried chickpeas until perfectly tender while they soak up all that smoky flavor.
- Great for leftovers: The flavors get even better after they’ve had time to meld making this perfect for meal prep.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients for this easy garbanzo bean stew recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Garbanzo Beans: Buy a bag of dried garbanzo (AKA chickpeas). They’re even cheaper than canned beans, and cook fairly quickly in the Instant Pot.
- Olive Oil for sauteing
- Aromatics: Onion and garlic
- Ham Hock or Bone: Use a smoked ham hock, ham bone, or smoked turkey leg to enhance the broth’s flavor.
- Ham Steak: Cut the ham into small cubes.
- Tomato Paste becomes more intense when toasted, giving the stew a rich tomato flavor.
- Seasoning: Kosher salt, crushed red pepper, sweet paprika
- Spanish Chorizo is a cured pork sausage.
- Potatoes: Peel and cube one pound of potatoes. Russet, Yukon Gold, or red potatoes all work.
- Water forms the base of the stew.
How to Make Spanish Garbanzo Bean Stew with Chorizo
The Instant Pot is one of my favorite methods for cooking dried beans because it significantly reduces simmering time. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable instructions.
- Soak the garbanzo beans: Rinse the chickpeas with water, then place them in a large bowl filled with water and let them sit for at least 8 hours. Make sure there’s room at the top because the beans will expand as they soak. If soaking them for longer, refrigerate the bowl.
- Sauté: Pour olive oil into a hot Instant Pot, then cook the onions and garlic. Add the cubed ham, tomato, paste, and spices, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients: garbanzo beans, chorizo, ham hock, potatoes, and water.
- Set the Instant Pot to Manual/Pressure Cook for 30 minutes. Then, do a natural release, meaning don’t release the valve at the top. Once finished, remove the ham hock.
- Thicken the stew: Mash the potatoes (while they’re in the pot) with the back of a fork or spoon. For a thicker consistency, blend 1 cup of chickpeas with broth until smooth, then stir them into the stew.
Variations
- Beans: Swap garbanzos with a white bean like Great Northern or navy beans. Canned chickpeas will not work, they will overcook while the potatoes and meat need more time.
- Add some greens, like kale or spinach, for extra nutrition.
No Instant Pot? No Problem!
To make this on the stove, soak the garbanzo beans as directed in Step 1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and follow Step 2 as written. Add the soaked garbanzo beans, Spanish chorizo, ham hock, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour. Add the potatoes and continue simmering, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the chickpeas and potatoes are tender, adding more water if needed. Remove the ham hock and finish the stew as directed in Step 5.
Serving Suggestions
This hearty Spanish chickpea stew would be perfect with a vegetable side or some bread to soak up the broth.
Storage and Meal Prep
This Spanish garbanzo bean stew is great for meal prep because the flavors become richer as it sits.
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Store it in 2-cup containers, leaving a little space at the top for grab-and-go meals during busy weeks. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Thaw the stew overnight in the fridge, then warm it in the microwave or on the stove. If you forget to thaw it, just microwave it for a few minutes, stirring in between to break it up.
High-Fiber Soups and Stews You’ll Love
For more dinner ideas using legumes, check out these five healthy soup and stew recipes to inspire your next meal!
- Escarole and Chickpea Soup with Garlic Toast
- Minestrone Soup
- Pasta Fagioli (Pasta and Beans)
- Chicken Lentil Soup (Instant Pot)
- Tuscan White Bean Soup with Meatballs
Instant Pot Spanish Garbanzo Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried garbanzo beans, dried (chickpeas)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 smoked ham hock, or ham bone, smoked turkey leg
- 8 ounces cooked ham steak, cubed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon, crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 3 ounces dry Spanish chorizo, sliced thinly
- 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch cubes from 2 medium (yellow, yukon, red, russet)
- 6 cups water
Instructions
- Prepare the garbanzo beans by rinsing them under cold water. Place them in a large bowl, cover with at least 3 inches of water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. When ready to cook, drain and rinse the beans again.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté and heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onions and garlic and cook until softened, about 2–3 minutes. Stir in the ham, tomato paste, salt, pepper, paprika and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the soaked garbanzo beans, sliced Spanish chorizo, ham hock, followed by the diced potatoes, leaving them on top, then add water.
- Switch the Instant Pot to Manual/Pressure Cook and set the timer for 30 minutes.
- When the cooking time ends, let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid once all pressure has fully released. Remove the ham hock and use a fork or the back of a spoon to mash the potatoes, to thicken the stew and stir. For a thicker stew, add 1 cup of the chickpeas with some liquid to a small blender then pour back in.