Chickpea sofrito

Sofrito is a basic vegetable preparation commonly used in Mediterranean, Latin American, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese cooking typically comprised of finely chopped onion, carrot, celery and garlic to add flavour to dishes. This version from Rodney Dunn uses fennel and silverbeet in place of the usual celery, to make a speedy vegetarian dish with a twist.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 1 cup (250 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 brown onions, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 4 silverbeet leaves and stalks
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 1 baby fennel, bulb finely chopped, fronds reserved
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cans (400 g) chickpeas, drained, rinsed
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Instructions

1. In a large, heavy-based saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, then add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until beginning to soften.
   
2. While the onion is cooking, separate the silverbeet leaves and stalks. Roughly chop the leaves and finely chop the stalks, keeping them separate. Add the carrot, fennel (reserving the fronds) and silverbeet stalks to the pan and cook, stirring, for a further 5 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Stir through the tomato paste and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
   
3. Reduce the heat to medium and stir through the silverbeet leaves until wilted. Add the drained chickpeas and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the chickpeas are warmed through.
   
4. Roughly chop the fennel fronds and stir through the chickpea sofrito. Serve with lemon wedges.
   

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Fast Frypan Favourites

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

PG

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

PG