Sausage, Spinach and Chickpea Stew

In news that will surprise no one, life is pretty hectic at the minute with school and work so blogging hasn't really been a priority. However, spring has finally sprung and I'm getting excited about cooking lots of tasty treats so hopefully I'll be able to share a few of those with you all along the way. I might have to cut down on the step by step photos for recipes but I'll try to include at least one picture of the finished product for each post.

Finished product!

While this recipe is not the most spring oriented, it does make for a quick and tasty weekday dinner. However, the herbs add a much needed dash of green and, let's be honest, spring in Britain requires holding on to a few comfort dishes to warm you up. I made this for my flatmate and her friend and it was a hit - easy to make while chatting, super fast and delicious. Plus, add it a slightly sad attempt to artfully place the toast and you have a dinner party dish. I love this recipe because it works for most of the year and is pretty cheap (so perfect for those midweek meals!). This time, I doubled the recipe so I'd have plenty leftover to take to work for my lunches. Of course, I did this before remembering that the current tube strike means I'll be working from home today and tomorrow! Oops. Oh well, still delicious! If you'd like to skip the bread, this could be good with couscous or rice as well. You just want something that will let you soak up all that saucy goodness. Finally, try and get sausages with a high percentage of meat. I went with the Waitrose pork and leek sausages because they were on sale and, at 75% meat, they were perfect. 

Delicious and Prosecco... can't complain! 

I stayed pretty true to the recipe on Real Simple but added parmesan cheese to the final product. This is optional but, if you're like me, you probably have some in the fridge already! Sprinkle a bit of the leftover herbs on top and you're good to go!

Recipe via www.realsimple.com

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 sausages, casings removed
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro/corriander, chopped
500ml chicken or vegetable stock
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
500g spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese, grated
Crusty bread to serve

Method: 

In a large pan with high sides, heat a dash of olive oil over medium heat and add the chopped onion. Cook until softened and then add the sausages. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausages as they brown so that they look more like mince than sausages. Once browned, add the tomato paste and cook for a minute or two, stirring continuously so the meat doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. If necessary, lower the heat to medium-low.

Next, stir in the herbs and continue to cook for another minute. When the herbs have been incorporated, add the stock and chickpeas. Increase the heat and bring to a boil.

Finally, add the spinach and simmer for ten minutes until wilted and well mixed. Serve with toasted crusty bread and enjoy!