Cocido: The Spanish Way to Cook Seasonal Stew

What to eat this time of year? It’s too warm for winter comfort food, but spring vegetables are not yet available in the farmers’ markets. A loyal reader suggested that I write about cocido, a classic Spanish dish.

Claudia Roden, author of The Food of Spain, explains that cocido, olla, puchero, pote, and escudella are all general terms for stews. Rural families kept them on simmer in huge pots hanging in the fireplace or sitting on a tripod over burning coals and made them the main meal of almost every day. The primary ingredient is beans, she says, with some vegetables and maybe bits of ham, sausage, or other meats. But beans were the “meat” of the rural people. Not long ago in the Basque country, the term babazorro or “bean eater” was an insult meaning country bumpkin, she notes.

Putting spring in your stew

Making this a “spring” stew rather than more hearty winter fare is a case of keeping the broth thinner and cooking the vegetables for a shorter time so that they’re more firm. The beauty of cooking such a dish is that you only need to decide what legumes to use as a base. The broth is important, but it could be poultry, pork, beef, or vegetable. Then add your seasonal vegetables, meat, or sausages.

In Spain, cocido is often served in three separate courses. When the stew is finished, cooks strain the broth and serve it – sometimes by adding vermicelli – as a first course. The warmed-up vegetables are the second course, and the meats, the third.

Claudia Roden notes that every region of Spain has its own version. In Catalonia, large meatballs are added to the broth. The Madrid cocido (photo above), made with local chickpeas, is the most famous. In the Basque region, Tolosa is famous for its black bean stew made with pickled pork belly and spicy sausages such as chorizo. Spain has an advantage in that it has a great variety of legumes displayed in shops and markets – more than 20 types of beans, lentils, and chickpeas – down to the name of the village where they were grown. Nowadays, I’ve found several online purveyors of fantastic beans. Rancho Gordo in California, for instance, offers more than 30 varieties of heirloom beans, peas, and lentils. Its website is currently trumpeting new spring bean arrivals and recipes.

There you have it for an uncomplicated, no-stress family meal. Pick your type of beans to soak and meat to stew, add seasonal vegetables, and serve it family style – or you could even do the three-course Spanish treatment. After all, cooking should be relaxing, not anxiety-producing.

Lightening your way

While we’re on the subject of seasonal stews, here are 30 varieties offered up by Food & Wine. I’ve tried several, and they’ve all been delicious. But they’re winter-style. Thin the broth, where appropriate, and crunch the vegetables for a lighter meal. Carbonnade à la Flamande was one of the first dishes I learned when I first started cooking seriously more than 50 years ago, and I’ve been a fan of tagines for years. But I also have discovered awaze stews from Ethiopia and especially enjoy Hungarian dishes such as the lecso (Hungarian sausage stew).

Using the cocido approach to these kinds of meals could make almost any soup or stew a new invention. If you have a slow cooker or an Instant Pot, that makes it even easier. What’s your pleasure?