Soups · Spanish

Cocido
Madrileño

Cocido Madrileño
Time
40'
+ 2h 30' chilling
Diff.
medium
Kcal
720
/ serving
Servings
6
Gather 15 ingredients before cooking
Scale
Units
01 You'll need check when you have it
02 To finish last minute: ~60 min window
Step 01 of 10

Soak the chickpeas

400 g

Put dry chickpeas (400 g) in a large bowl and cover with cold water — at least twice their volume. Leave overnight, minimum 12 hours.

Tip
Without soaking, chickpeas won't soften even after 3 hours of cooking. This step is non-negotiable.
Step 02 of 10

Start the broth

500 g
200 g
500 g

Put beef shank or brisket (500 g) and smoked slab bacon (200 g) in a large pot (at least 6 liters). Cover with 4 liters of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam with a slotted spoon. Once the water clears, add chicken thighs (500 g).

Tip
Starting with cold water lets proteins slowly leach into the broth for deeper flavor. Dropping meat into boiling water seals it and leaves the broth empty.
Step 03 of 10

Add chickpeas and aromatics

400 g
1 szt
4 szt
2 łyżeczka

Drain the soaked dry chickpeas (400 g) and add to the pot. Toss in the whole peeled onion (1 szt) and garlic cloves (4 szt) (don't chop, leave whole). Add salt (2 łyżeczka). Reduce heat to minimum — the water should barely shimmer, not bubble.

Tip
Hard boiling shatters the chickpeas. A slow simmer keeps them whole and soft.
Step 04 of 10

Slow simmer

Cover the pot partially and simmer on low for 90 minutes. Check every 20 minutes that the meat stays submerged — top up with boiling water if needed.

Step 05 of 10

Add chorizo and vegetables

200 g
300 g
600 g

Add the whole chorizo sausage (200 g), peeled carrot (300 g) cut into thick chunks, and peeled potatoes (600 g) (small ones whole, larger ones halved). Continue simmering on low for 30 minutes.

Tip
Don't add the blood sausage yet — it splits if cooked too long.
Step 06 of 10

Prepare the cabbage

400 g
3 łyżka
4 szt
1 łyżeczka

Cut savoy cabbage (400 g) into thick strips. Boil in a separate pot of salted water for 8 minutes. Drain. Heat olive oil (3 łyżka) in a 24 cm pan, add 2 chopped garlic cloves (4 szt) cloves and cook for 30 seconds — it should smell, not brown. Take off the heat, stir in sweet paprika (1 łyżeczka). Add the drained cabbage and toss for 2 minutes.

Tip
Add paprika off the heat — in hot oil it burns in seconds and turns bitter.
Step 07 of 10

Add blood sausage

200 g

Add the whole blood sausage (200 g) to the broth pot. Simmer on low for 15 minutes.

Step 08 of 10

The soup: first course

120 g

Ladle 1.5 liters of broth from the pot into a smaller saucepan. Bring to a boil, add thin noodles (120 g) and cook for 5 minutes until tender. This is the first course — sopa.

Step 09 of 10

Second course: chickpeas and vegetables

400 g
600 g
300 g
400 g

Use a slotted spoon to lift dry chickpeas (400 g), potatoes (600 g) and carrot (300 g) from the big pot onto a serving platter. Add the seasoned savoy cabbage (400 g). This is the second course.

Step 10 of 10

Third course: the meats

500 g
500 g
200 g
200 g
200 g

Lift beef shank or brisket (500 g), chicken thighs (500 g), smoked slab bacon (200 g), chorizo sausage (200 g) and blood sausage (200 g) from the pot. Cut into portions. Arrange on a second platter. Serve the soup first, then the vegetables with chickpeas, finally the meats — Madrid style.

Cocido Madrileño
Bon appétit

How did it turn out?

Enjoy — now it's a matter of patience and a good table.

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