There are days on the road when the weather makes the decision for you. Llanes, on the Asturian coast, was warm enough but the rain had settled in for the afternoon with the particular determination that Asturian rain is famous for. I was parked on a newly created camper pitch — free, provided by the town hall, a grassy strip with full amenities and picnic tables — and going anywhere felt like the wrong idea entirely.

Florie was parked. The gas was on. And there was a tin of garbanzos in the cupboard.

Garbanzos a la Riojana is not an Asturian dish — it comes from La Rioja, inland, wine country, a long way from the coast. But a chickpea and chorizo stew doesn't much care where it's eaten, and on a grey, rainy afternoon in Llanes it was exactly right. Hearty, savoury, built from things that live permanently in the van storecupboard, and done in one pan.

Garbanzos a la Riojana

Serves 1 | Van kitchen friendly | One pan

Ingredients

• 1 tin chickpeas (400g), drained and rinsed
• 1 chorizo sausage, sliced
• 100g pancetta or diced ham
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large ripe tomato, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of saffron strands, soaked in a little warm water
• Chicken stock — enough to loosen the stew to your liking
• Olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chorizo and pancetta or ham and cook until the chorizo starts releasing its oils and the pancetta is lightly browned.
2. Add the onion, garlic and peppers. Cook until soft and the onion is translucent — about 8 minutes.
3. Add the tomato and cook for another 5 minutes, letting it break down into the other ingredients.
4. Add the drained chickpeas, paprika, bay leaf and saffron with its soaking water. Stir well.
5. Add enough chicken stock to bring everything together into a loose stew — not soupy, but not dry either. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
6. Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve hot. Crusty bread on the side if you have it.

It's even better the next day, when the flavours have had time to settle. Not that there were leftovers in the van.

And if you cannot be bothered with any of this, Mercadona sells it in tins. Just saying.

This garbanzos a la riojana recipe is featured in my Campervan Cooking Hub, a collection of recipes cooked for real on the road — one pan, two rings, and whatever the road provides. It also features in my Gut Health Recipes collection — real food from a rural Andalucían kitchen, built around fermented foods, high-fibre pulses, wholegrains and prebiotic-rich ingredients.

Find more recipes and food adventures here.

Wonky park-ups, proper adventures, genuine freedom — The Flexible Chef