Tomato, chorizo & Chickpea soup
In our second week of autumnal warming soups and bowls I’ve made this Spanish style tomato and chickpea soup.
Now I know everyone has eaten tomato soup, but this one has the added punch from smoky paprika spiced chorizo. In fact, it has a double hit of chorizo as I like to sauté some of the sausage when cooking the base of the dish as its bold flavour makes for a great start in the cooking process.
I first tried chorizo in Palma about 20 years ago. We stumbled into a tiny tapas bar well away from the main tourist streets it was a no-frills place. We at first thought we weren’t very welcome but soon found out that they just assumed we were lost.
A beer was had and then the chorizo frito al vino was put in front of us with a hunk of bread and my goodness we were instant converts, the flavours were just so rich and complex and then to find out how simple it was to recreate, I’ve been making it ever since.
Chickpeas are another tapas favourite and this soup is based on the traditional stew, Garbanzos con Chorizo – so knowing that combination is one that works, making this warming soup was fairly simple. Serve with a hunk of bread and glass of smooth Rioja. Enjoy. 1 In a large pot cook the onions with a generous splash of olive oil for 5 mins till beginning to soften. Add the 100g chorizo then the cumin, paprika, garlic and chilli, combine and cook for 5 more mins. 2 Add chickpeas, tomato and stock. Bring the soup to a boil then simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3 Ladle half of the soup into another container and blitz the remaining half in the pot with a stick blender till smooth. 4 Return the other half to the pot and stir to combine. Keep warm. 5 Fry the diced chorizo in a splash of oil till becoming crispy. 6 Ladle soup into bowls, top with chorizo and some oil. Finish with fresh chopped coriander and serve.