It’s been rainy and cold lately (which, after all, is to be expected at this point in the fall), and as temperatures drop and the nights grow longer, you find yourself craving a hearty, comforting stew. Even if we limited ourselves to Spanish cuisine alone, we’d have plenty of options to keep our menu varied all winter long: lentils, fabada, stews, pucheros… And the must-have, of course: cocido.
There are many variations, but the Madrid-style cocido was designated an Asset of Cultural Interest just this year. In the capital, finding a good cocido isn’t hard (though some are better than others, and none quite like the one cooked at home), but finding an affordable one is another story altogether.
In this regard, students at the Complutense University of Madrid are in luck. At the cafeteria in the Multipurpose Building on the Moncloa campus, next to the María Zambrano Library, a plate of cocido (with its broth, meat, chickpeas, and vegetables) costs just €6.55, with bread and dessert included. It’s a great excuse to stop by the campus of the capital’s oldest university.
Beyond the cocido at Complutense University
At Madrid Secreto, we’ve visited the cafeterias at Madrid’s public universities on more than one occasion to sample their daily specials, and we have a few recommendations:
- The cafeteria at the School of Philosophy and Letters on the Cantoblanco campus of the Autonomous University of Madrid, which serves a daily special for 8.50.
- The cafeteria at the School of Dentistry at the Complutense University of Madrid also offers a daily menu with a first course, main course, and dessert for just 6.55.