This Spanish Chorizo Soup with Chickpeas recipe is definitely a dish I make at the first sign of fall. You immediately understand how special this soup is with your very first spoonful!
I discovered it several years ago after looking through some Jamie Oliver recipes. I can’t say it seemed appealing to me very much at the time, it seemed a bit boring to be honest, and I think I would of skipped it if I didn’t happen to have an opened can of chickpeas, a piece of chorizo and some spinach that was about to go bad. So I decided to give it a try, not totally convinced, but happy that at least I was not throwing away food! I’m SO GLAD I did. It has been a staple at my house ever since and I can’t count how many people have asked me for this recipe. I even had a guest once who had tears in his eyes when he tried it, saying it reminded him of his grandmother’s soup! Tears…that’s how good it is.
Please get a good quality cured Spanish chorizo, not the Portuguese (chourico) or the fresh Mexican variety. The chorizo really makes the soup so that’s why it’s important to get a good one, ideally from a specialty store*. I like to use the spicy version, I like the little kick it gives the soup, but you can use the milder version if you prefer.
*For my Montreal friends, I usually buy it either at William J. Walter’s, La Vieille Europe or L’espanola.
- 150 g spicy Spanish chorizo sausage, finely chopped
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic finely chopped
- 2 sticks of celery chopped
- 1 lb fresh spinach, washed and chopped
- 1 can (790 ml) diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 can of chickpeas, drained
- 5 cup of chicken stock
- salt and pepper
- Heat 2 tablespoon of olive in a large pot over medium heat and add the chorizo. Stir occasionally until chorizo renders its fat and becomes crispy.
- Add the onions, garlic and celeri and lower the heat to low. Cover your pot and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You don't want the onion to be colored here.
- Uncover, add the spinach, tomatoes, chickpeas and chicken stock.
- Turn up your heat. Once boiling, turn it back down to low and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes.
- Puree about ⅓ of the soup in a blender and put it back in the pot. This will thicken the soup slightly and it will also distribute all the wonderful flavors in every sip!
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
If you like soup, also try my Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Gruyère Croutons or my Meatball and Tomato Soup with Pasta and Basil.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH SAGE AND GRUYÈRE CROUTONS. A classic fall soup.
MEATBALL TOMATO SOUP. Filled with tender, moist, bite-sized sausage meatballs will keep you as warm as summer on the coldest day!
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