Cocido Madrileño: Three-Course Chickpea Feast

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic Madrid comfort food served as three generous courses from one pot.
• Ultra-flavorful broth from beef, ham bone, pork, and chicken gently simmered together.
• Hands-off technique with staggered additions so every ingredient cooks perfectly.
• Feeds a crowd with simple, affordable ingredients and beautiful presentation.

Grocery List

• Produce: 1 leek, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 potatoes, 1 turnip, 1/2 green cabbage, 4 garlic cloves, fresh parsley
• Dairy: None
• Pantry: 1 lb dried chickpeas, 4 oz fideos/vermicelli, bay leaf, whole black peppercorns, kosher salt, extra-virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar

Full Ingredients

Chickpeas

• 1 lb (450 g) dried chickpeas
• 8 cups (1.9 L) water for soaking
• 1 tsp kosher salt (for soak; optional)

Meats and Bones

• 1.5 lb (680 g) beef shank, bone-in (morcillo) or cross-cut shank
• 1 beef marrow bone (8–10 oz / 225–280 g)
• 1 ham bone (hueso de jamón), about 12 oz (340 g)
• 8 oz (225 g) pork belly or salt pork (tocino), rinsed
• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1.5 lb / 680 g)
• 2 Spanish chorizos (about 8 oz / 225 g total)
• 1 morcilla (Spanish blood sausage), about 6 oz (170 g), optional

Vegetables and Aromatics

• 1 leek, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 1 medium onion, peeled and halved
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
• 1 small turnip, peeled and quartered
• 1/2 small green cabbage (about 12 oz / 340 g), cut into 4 wedges (core intact)
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• 5 qt (4.7 L) cold water (plus extra hot water as needed to top up)
• Kosher salt, to taste

Primer vuelco (Course 1: Noodle Soup)

• 6 cups (1.4 L) strained cocido broth
• 4 oz (115 g) fine fideos or thin vermicelli
• Fine salt, to taste
• 1–2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

Segundo y tercer vuelco (Courses 2 and 3: Chickpeas, Vegetables, and Meats)

• Cooked chickpeas and vegetables from the pot
• Cooked meats and sausages from the pot
• Extra-virgin olive oil, flaky salt, freshly ground black pepper
• Sherry vinegar (to brighten the chickpeas and cabbage)
• Optional: piparras (pickled green chilies) or cornichons

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Soak the chickpeas

Add the dried chickpeas to a large bowl with 8 cups of water and 1 tsp kosher salt (optional). Soak 12 hours or overnight at room temperature. Drain and rinse before cooking.

Step 2: Start the base broth with bones and tougher meats

Place the beef shank, ham bone, marrow bone, and pork belly in a large stockpot (at least 8 quarts). Add 5 qt (4.7 L) cold water. Bring slowly to a gentle simmer over medium heat; do not let it boil hard. Skim foam and any gray impurities for 15–20 minutes to keep the broth clear. Adjust heat to maintain a bare simmer (about 185–200°F).

Step 3: Add chickpeas and aromatics

Add the soaked chickpeas. For easy retrieval, place them in a cheesecloth or mesh bag and tie it off. Add garlic, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Simmer gently, uncovered or partially covered, for 60 minutes, skimming as needed. Keep the surface only just bubbling; vigorous boiling will cloud the broth and toughen the chickpeas.

Step 4: Add chicken and firm vegetables

Add the chicken thighs, onion, leek, carrots, and turnip. Maintain a gentle simmer for 30 minutes, topping up with a little hot water if the liquid drops below the ingredients. Do not add salt yet; bones and chorizo will contribute salt later.

Step 5: Add potatoes, cabbage, and sausages

Add potatoes, cabbage wedges, and the chorizos. Simmer 30–40 minutes more until the vegetables are tender and chickpeas are creamy. Add the morcilla only for the final 15–20 minutes so it does not burst. Internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165°F; remove individual items as they become done and keep warm, covered.

Step 6: Strain, defat, and season the broth

Carefully lift out the meats, sausages, vegetables, and chickpeas. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot. Skim off excess fat or chill briefly and remove the solidified fat. You should have 10–12 cups of rich broth. Taste and season with salt as needed. Optionally, infuse a pinch of crushed saffron in a ladle of hot broth and stir back in for color and aroma.

Step 7: Course 1 – Noodle soup (sopa de fideos)

Bring 6 cups of the broth to a boil. Add fideos and a pinch of salt. Cook 3–4 minutes until just tender. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with parsley. Ladle into warm bowls and serve immediately as the first course.

Step 8: Courses 2 and 3 – Chickpeas, vegetables, and meats

Arrange the chickpeas and vegetables on a warm platter. Moisten with a few ladles of hot broth, drizzle with olive oil, and brighten with a splash of sherry vinegar. Season to taste. On a separate platter, slice the beef shank across the grain, carve the chicken off the bone, and slice the chorizo and morcilla. Serve the meats as the third course with a little hot broth spooned over to keep everything succulent. Offer piparras or pickles at the table.

Pro Tips

• Keep it gentle: maintain a bare simmer (185–200°F). Hard boiling clouds the broth and toughens chickpeas.
• Bag the garbanzos: a cheesecloth or mesh bag keeps chickpeas intact and easy to retrieve.
• Season late: ham bone and sausages are salty; salt the broth only at the end.
• Stagger additions: potatoes, cabbage, and sausages go in last so they do not overcook. Morcilla needs only 15–20 minutes.
• Make it clearer: chill strained broth 20 minutes to lift off fat easily, or float a few ice cubes to help coagulate fat before skimming.

Variations

• Pressure cooker: Cook beef shank, ham bone, marrow bone, pork belly, chickpeas, garlic, bay, peppercorns, and 10 cups water at High Pressure for 30 minutes; natural release 15 minutes. Add chicken, carrots, leek, onion, turnip, potatoes, cabbage, and chorizo; High Pressure 10 minutes; quick release. Simmer morcilla 5–7 minutes on Sauté. Proceed with soup and platters.
• Lighter cocido: Use skinless chicken, lean beef shank, and skip pork belly. Add 1 tsp sweet paprika to the broth for warmth.
• Weeknight shortcut: Use 3 cans (15 oz/425 g each) drained chickpeas and good-quality low-sodium broth. Simmer bones and meats 1.5 hours, add canned chickpeas for the final 20 minutes.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Refrigerate broth, chickpeas/vegetables, and meats separately for up to 4 days. Freeze broth and chickpeas up to 3 months; meats up to 2 months. Cook fideos only when serving (they become mushy if stored in broth). To reheat, bring broth to a simmer, warm chickpeas and vegetables in a little broth, and steam meats gently over the broth or moisten them with hot broth before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate for 1 of 6 servings (all three courses): 820 kcal; 47 g protein; 44 g fat; 55 g carbohydrates; 10 g fiber; sodium will vary with ham bone and sausages. Estimates only.