Now that the cold has finally settled in, all I dream about is soup! And this is definitely the first soup I make when the first signs of fall arrive. I can’t say enough about this soup, really.
I made it for the first time a few years ago, after looking through some of Jamie Oliver’s recipes. I can’t say it seemed appealing to me 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 spinach about to go bad. So I decided to give it a try, not totally convinced, but at least I was not throwing away food! I’m SO GLAD I did – you really get how special it is with your very first spoonful! It is a staple at my house and I can’t count how many people have asked me for the recipe. I even had a guest once who had a tear in his eye when he tried it, saying it reminded him of his grandmother’s soup!
It is necessary to get a good quality cured Spanish chorizo, not the Portuguese (chourico) or the fresh Mexican variety. I use the spicy version because I like the little kick it gives the soup, but you can use the milder version.
Jamie Oliver puts in pata negra, which is a Spanish ham, and tops it off with some grated hard-boiled eggs, but over the years, I have begun omitting these two ingredients and it’s just as good.
- 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.
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