Swiss Chard with Chickpeas with homemade cooked chickpeas

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade cooked chickpeas ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water.

   Bowl

   💡Soak in plenty of water, well above what's being soaked: legumes and grains swell and drink water, and whatever sticks out stays hard. Drain well before continuing.
2. 2
   Drain, cover with plenty of unsalted water and cook 1.5–2 hours, skimming off the foam and skins from time to time, until the chickpeas are very soft and crush easily between your fingers.

   ColanderStovePot

   💡Fully cooked chickpeas crush between your fingers with no resistance at all. Chickpeas that stay a little firm make a grainy spread, and no amount of tahini will fix it.
3. 3
   Drain, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid.

   Colander

For the Pan-Cooked Vegetables

1. 4
   Wash the chard well.
2. 5
   Separate the leaves from the stems, and cut the stems into small pieces and the leaves coarse.

   KnifeCutting board
3. 6
   Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat.

   StovePot
4. 7
   Add the garlic and fry, until it is lightly golden.

   Stove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
5. 8
   Add the paprika, cumin and chili and stir.

   Stove
6. 9
   Add the stems of the chard and cook 3 minutes, stirring.

   Stove
7. 10
   Add the leaves of the chard and cook 5 minutes, stirring, until they soften.

   Stove
8. 11
   Add the chickpeas, stir and cook 5 more minutes, until the liquid reduces.

   Stove
9. 12
   Season the chard with salt and black pepper and the lemon juice, and serve.