Beans are a staple food on many Cuban dinner tables: they are inexpensive, can feed an army and are easily adaptable to whatever you find in your fridge and pantry. There’s something about a pot of beans, simmering low and slow on the stove all day, allowing all of the flavors and aromas to release, that screams home-cooked comfort. Plus, nothing sticks to your ribs on a cold day better than a good bean soup or stew. To be fair, I’d eat this even on a warm day. In fact, I remember a distinctively warm winter night in Santiago de Cuba, when after a grueling day of distributing humanitarian aid to those in need, my mom and I wanted nothing more than a good, hearty chickpea stew. Lucky for us, my mom’s cousin Virginia who is known for being a great cook, surprised us that evening with exactly the comfort food that we had a hankering for.
That night, her chickpea stew included big chunks of sweet squash, creamy potatoes, and hearty chard, all perfumed with the unmistakable smoky flavors of chorizo. As she explained to us, the number one ingredient in Virginia’s now-famous chickpea stew is, “lo que sea,” which translates to, “whatever I can find.” Since ingredients can sometimes be hard to come by in Santiago, Virginia has made a name for herself creating rich, indulgent meals using “lo que sea.” This stew was no exception. Ever since returning home, I’ve wanted to recreate it every chance I get. Even though ingredients are more readily available here, I still do my best to stay true to the “lo que sea” philosophy, and find myself adding whatever I find in my vegetable crisper and pantry that particular day. So long as the base ingredients remain the same, you can really have fun experimenting with “lo que sea” the next time you try your hands at chickpea stew.
*Note: If you’d prefer to make this using dry beans, soak 1 lb dry garbanzo beans overnight in a large bowl of water, drain and proceed with recipe accordingly, simmering for extra time, until the beans are softened.