Garbanzo bean and chorizo soup with potato, ham hock and saffron broth. The Sunday-dinner staple at the Columbia Restaurant since 1905, plus Cuban diners.

Spanish bean soup is the Sunday-dinner classic that the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City has served since 1905. The Asturian-Spanish recipe combines garbanzo beans, smoked chorizo, ham hock, potato and saffron in a clear broth, served as a starter or a meal. Cuban diners across Tampa now run the same soup. The Columbia plates over 5,000 bowls a week between its six Florida locations.

Where to eat Spanish bean soup (Garbanzo) in Tampa

3 editor picks for Spanish bean soup (Garbanzo) in Tampa, ranked by editorial score. All Tampa signature dishes · Spanish bean soup (Garbanzo) across every city.

  • Columbia Restaurant

    Order 1905 Salad tableside, Cuban sandwich with the house Cuban bread, and the Spanish bean soup.

    The Columbia Restaurant on East Seventh Avenue has plated 1905 Salad and Cuban sandwiches in Ybor City since 1905 and is Florida's oldest restaurant.

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  • La Teresita

    Order Palomilla steak with yellow rice and black beans, a side of yuca fries, and a cafe con leche at the counter.

    La Teresita on Columbus Drive in West Tampa has run a Cuban counter and dining room since 1972, owned by the Capdevila family across two generations.

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  • Cafe Don Jose

    Drink Cafe con leche

    Cafe Don Jose on West Columbus Drive runs a working-class Cuban counter with cafecito, pastelitos and Cuban breakfast plates for the West Tampa crowd.

    Directions

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Make it at home

Serves 63 hrEasy

Ingredients

  • 400g dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas), soaked overnight
  • 1 ham hock (or 200g pork shoulder)
  • 200g Spanish chorizo, sliced into rounds
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 medium potatoes, diced
  • 1 tsp saffron threads
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 2 liters chicken stock or water
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • Olive oil for sauteing

Method

  1. Drain soaked garbanzo beans. Put in a large pot with the ham hock and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer; skim foam.
  2. Cook 1.5 hours until garbanzos are tender. Remove ham hock, shred meat, return to pot, discard bones.
  3. Heat olive oil in a separate pan. Saute onion until soft, add garlic, paprika and saffron. Add to the soup pot.
  4. Add diced potatoes and sliced chorizo. Simmer 30 minutes until potatoes are tender.
  5. Taste, adjust salt and pepper. Serve hot in bowls with Cuban bread on the side.

Editor tip. The saffron is essential to the Spanish version; don't skip it. If garbanzo beans are still firm after 1.5 hours of cooking, add a pinch of baking soda.