Chickpea Chorizo Soup

Chickpea chorizo soup is a hearty Spanish-style bowl of browned sliced chorizo, tender chickpeas, potato cubes and wilted spinach in a rich paprika-garlic broth. It comes together on the stove in about 45 minutes. For more comforting pots, try this ham and bean soup and this easy creamy potato soup.

Why You’ll Love This Chickpea Chorizo Soup

• Smoky paprika-garlic broth: rendered chorizo fat, smoked paprika, tomato and garlic build a deep red-orange soup that tastes slow-cooked even on a weeknight.
• One pot, simple timing: brown the chorizo, then simmer the chickpeas and potatoes until tender. The spinach goes in at the end and wilts in a minute or two.
• Filling without a long list: chickpeas, potatoes and chorizo make a complete bowl, and the ingredient list stays short and familiar.
• Easy to scale: the pot serves 4 to 6, and leftovers reheat well the next day with a splash of stock.

What Is Chickpea Chorizo Soup?

Chickpea chorizo soup is a Spanish-style pot of chickpeas simmered with cured chorizo, potatoes, onion, garlic, smoked paprika and tomato, then finished with fresh spinach. It is close in spirit to a potaje, the thick, spoonable soup common in Spanish home cooking. Spanish chorizo is a firm, cured sausage seasoned with paprika; the rounds brown in the pot and flavor the broth. For a short background on the sausage, see this overview of chorizo.

Ingredients for Chickpea Chorizo Soup

• 1/2 pound Spanish cured chorizo, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste, or 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 2 medium yellow or russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups fresh spinach, loosely packed
• Salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, optional, to finish

Ingredient Notes

• Chorizo: use Spanish-style cured chorizo, the firm kind you can slice into neat rounds. Browning the slices renders paprika-tinted fat that flavors the whole pot. If you only have fresh, uncured chorizo, remove the casing, brown the meat thoroughly, and cook it to 160°F; see the USDA safe temperature chart.
• Chickpeas: two 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed, keep this weeknight-friendly. You can also use about 3 cups of cooked chickpeas.
• Potatoes: cut them into even 3/4-inch cubes so they cook at the same pace. Yellow potatoes hold their shape; russets break down a little and help thicken the soup.
• Smoked paprika and tomato: smoked paprika gives the broth its color and aroma. Tomato paste, or a cup of crushed tomatoes, deepens that red-orange color. Add the paprika off a hard boil so it does not scorch.
• Spinach: fresh leaves wilt in a minute or two at the end. Frozen spinach can work if you thaw it and squeeze out the extra water; stir it in during the last few minutes.
• Chicken stock: five cups makes a generous pot for 4 to 6 bowls. Add a splash of stock if it reduces more than you like.

How to Make Chickpea Chorizo Soup

1. Brown the chorizo: heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the chorizo rounds in a single layer and cook until browned on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer them to a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
2. Soften the onion: add the diced onion to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until soft and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and spices: stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook 30 to 45 seconds, until fragrant, without letting the paprika scorch.
4. Stir in the tomato: add the tomato paste, or the crushed tomatoes, and cook for 1 minute, stirring, so the tomato darkens slightly and coats the onion.
5. Add the potatoes, chickpeas and stock: stir in the potato cubes, chickpeas, chicken stock and bay leaf. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender, 18 to 22 minutes.
6. Return the chorizo: stir the browned chorizo back into the pot and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes so the slices warm through.
7. Wilt the spinach: add the spinach a handful at a time and stir until it wilts, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Taste and add salt if needed. Stir in the vinegar if you are using it.
8. Serve: ladle the chickpea chorizo soup into bowls and serve it hot.

Hands-on time is about 15 minutes, and cooking takes about 30 minutes. The recipe serves 4 to 6.

Tips for the Best Chickpea Chorizo Soup

• Use cured, sliceable chorizo: the firm Spanish style browns cleanly and holds its shape in the bowl. Soft, fresh sausage will crumble and change the look of the bowl.
• Do not rush the onion: a full 5 to 6 minutes in the chorizo fat gives the broth a sweeter, rounder base.
• Watch the paprika: it can turn bitter if it sits on high heat. Stir it in off a hard boil and move to the tomato and stock soon after.
• Cut the potatoes evenly: similar cubes finish at the same time, so you do not end up with some still firm and others falling apart.
• Add the spinach last: it should stay bright and just wilted. Long simmering can turn the leaves dull and soft.

What to Serve With Chickpea Chorizo Soup

This soup is filling on its own, especially with a piece of crusty bread for dipping into the paprika broth. A simple green salad on the side keeps the meal light. For more hearty bowls, try this hearty lentil soup, this white bean and potato soup, and this healing vegetable soup.

Variations

• Add more vegetables: stir diced carrot or red bell pepper in with the onion, or swap the spinach for chopped kale and simmer the kale a few extra minutes until tender.
• Make it spicier: add a little more red pepper flakes, or a pinch of cayenne with the smoked paprika.
• Start with dried chickpeas: soak 1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas overnight, then simmer them in stock until tender before you add the potatoes and continue with the recipe.
• Skip the potatoes: use an extra can of chickpeas, or cube a sweet potato instead and simmer until just tender.
• Vegetarian version: leave out the chorizo, use vegetable stock, and add an extra teaspoon of smoked paprika plus a little more olive oil so the broth stays rich and red-orange.

Storage

Cool leftover chickpea chorizo soup, then refrigerate it in a covered container for up to 4 days. The potatoes and chickpeas soak up broth as the soup sits, so loosen it with a splash of stock when you reheat it. Warm it gently on the stove until steaming. It also freezes well for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove. If you plan to freeze a batch, you can leave the spinach out and stir in fresh leaves when you warm it up.

FAQ

What is chickpea chorizo soup?

It is a Spanish-style soup made with browned cured chorizo, chickpeas, potatoes and spinach in a smoky paprika-garlic broth. Tomato and chicken stock give the soup its red-orange color and a rich, spoonable texture.

What kind of chorizo should I use in chickpea chorizo soup?

Spanish-style cured chorizo works best, because it is firm enough to slice into rounds and brown in the pot. If you only have fresh, uncured chorizo, remove the casing, brown the meat, and cook it to 160°F before you continue with the onion and spices.

Can I use dried chickpeas in chickpea chorizo soup?

Yes. Soak 1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas overnight, drain them, and simmer them in stock until tender. Then add the potatoes and follow the rest of the recipe. Canned chickpeas are faster if you want the soup on the table in about 45 minutes.

How do I keep the potatoes from falling apart in chickpea chorizo soup?

Cut them into even 3/4-inch cubes and simmer the soup gently, not at a hard boil. Yellow potatoes hold their shape better than russets. Check them at 18 minutes and take the pot off a rapid simmer as soon as a cube is tender when pierced.

Can I make chickpea chorizo soup ahead of time?

Yes. Cook the soup through the step where you return the chorizo, cool it, and refrigerate it. Reheat it gently, loosen it with stock if needed, then wilt the spinach just before serving so the leaves stay bright.