Spanish Chorizo Soup with Potatoes and White Beans

Spanish chorizo soup is a hearty, Spanish-style one-pot meal made with smoky cured chorizo, potatoes, white beans, and greens in a paprika-scented broth. The crisped sausage seasons the soup as it cooks, while the potatoes and beans make it filling; home versions vary, so the vegetables and seasonings are easy to adapt.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
12 ounces (340 g) Spanish cured chorizo, casing removed if necessary and sliced into thin half-moons. Choose firm, cured Spanish-style sausage, not raw Mexican chorizo.
1 medium yellow onion (about 6 ounces/180 g), diced
2 medium carrots (about 5 ounces/150 g), peeled if desired and diced
2 celery ribs (about 3½ ounces/100 g), diced
4 garlic cloves (about 12 g), finely chopped
1 teaspoon (2 g) smoked paprika, preferably sweet Spanish paprika
½ teaspoon (about 0.5 g) dried thyme
¼ teaspoon (about 0.5 g) red pepper flakes, optional
1½ pounds (680 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes
6 cups (1.42 L) low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 can cannellini beans, 15 ounces (425 g), drained and rinsed; this is about 1½ cups (250 g) beans
3 packed cups (90 g) chopped kale, tough stems removed
½ teaspoon (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon (3 g) fine salt, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon (15 ml) sherry vinegar

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients. Dice the onion, carrots, and celery; chop the garlic; and cut the potatoes into evenly sized cubes. Drain and rinse the beans, remove any tough kale stems, and slice the chorizo. Keeping the potato pieces close in size helps them finish cooking together.
Brown the chorizo. Set a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the sliced cured chorizo and cook for 4 minutes, stirring now and then, until it releases orange-red oil and develops browned edges. Transfer it to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the seasoned oil in the pot. If the sausage releases very little fat, that is fine; the olive oil will still carry the flavor.
Soften the vegetables. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook for 7 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion looks translucent and the vegetables have begun to soften. If the bottom starts to catch, lower the heat and add a spoonful of broth rather than letting the vegetables scorch.
Add aromatics and broth. Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, red pepper flakes if using, black pepper, and salt. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly so the garlic and paprika become fragrant without burning. Pour in the broth, add the potatoes and bay leaf, and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen the browned bits.
Simmer until the potatoes are tender. Bring the broth to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 17 minutes, stirring once or twice. Check a few of the largest potato pieces with a fork; they should be easy to pierce but not falling apart. If they are still firm, simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes before adding the greens.
Finish the soup. Return the chorizo to the pot and stir in the drained beans and kale. Simmer for 6 minutes, until the kale is tender and the beans are hot. Remove the bay leaf, stir in the sherry vinegar, and taste the broth. Add salt, pepper, or another small splash of vinegar as needed. The vinegar should brighten the soup, not make it taste sharply sour.
Check any raw-sausage substitution. This recipe is written for cured Spanish chorizo, which is ready to eat and is browned for flavor. If you substitute fresh raw chorizo, crumble and cook it thoroughly before adding the vegetables; ground meat must reach 160°F (71°C), the USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature. Drain excess rendered fat if the soup would otherwise seem greasy.

Tips

Choose the right chorizo. Spanish chorizo is typically firm and seasoned with paprika, and it can be sliced. Mexican chorizo is usually fresh, soft, and sold uncooked; it will crumble rather than hold slices and has a different seasoning profile. If Spanish chorizo is hard to find, use another fully cooked smoked sausage and add an extra ½ teaspoon (1 g) smoked paprika. The soup will still be savory, though it will lose some of chorizo’s distinctive paprika flavor.
Keep the simmer gentle. A rolling boil can break up the potatoes and make the broth cloudy. Once the pot boils, lower the heat so small bubbles rise steadily. Cut potatoes into similar-sized pieces and start checking them at 17 minutes, since older potatoes or smaller cuts may soften sooner.
Season after the sausage and broth go in. Chorizo and packaged broth both contribute salt, and their saltiness varies. The measured salt is a starting point; taste near the end and adjust then. Low-sodium broth gives you more control, while a salty broth may need no additional salt.
Use the vegetables you have. Spinach can replace kale; stir it in during the final minute because it wilts quickly. Swiss chard also works, but add its chopped stems with the carrots and its leaves with the beans. If you lack sherry vinegar, use red wine vinegar or lemon juice in a small amount; either gives a similar bright finish, though lemon tastes fresher and less wine-like.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the soup hot in deep bowls, making sure each portion gets potatoes, beans, greens, and plenty of chorizo. Crusty bread, a baguette, or toasted sourdough is useful for soaking up the paprika-rich broth. For a lighter accompaniment, add a crisp green salad dressed with olive oil and vinegar. A small drizzle of good olive oil or a little chopped parsley on each bowl is optional, but the soup is flavorful without a garnish.

If serving a group, put extra vinegar, black pepper, and sliced bread on the table so people can adjust their bowls. The soup is substantial enough to serve as a main course; smaller portions also work as a starter before a simple meal. Avoid adding a large amount of salty cheese unless you have tasted the broth first, since the chorizo already brings a pronounced savory flavor.

Variations

Make it vegetarian: Leave out the chorizo and use 1 tablespoon (15 ml) additional olive oil. Add 1 teaspoon (2 g) smoked paprika and, if available, a pinch of crushed fennel seed to build savory, smoky notes. Use vegetable broth. It will be a different soup rather than a direct match for the cured-sausage flavor, but the beans and potatoes still make it satisfying.

Change the beans or greens: Great Northern beans or butter beans can replace cannellini beans in the same quantity. For a deeper, earthier version, use escarole or chopped cabbage instead of kale; cabbage needs roughly the same finishing time, while delicate spinach needs less. Chickpeas can also be used, though they have a firmer bite.

Make it more brothy or thicker: For a lighter soup, add 1 cup (240 ml) more broth. For a thicker texture, mash a few cooked potato cubes against the side of the pot and stir them back in. Do not blend the whole pot unless you want a smooth soup, because blending can make cooked potatoes gluey. A pinch more red pepper flakes gives gentle heat without changing the basic character.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking in shallow, covered containers. Keep the soup refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. The potatoes will absorb some broth as they sit, so stir in a little water or broth when reheating if the soup has thickened. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming throughout and the leftovers reach 165°F (74°C), the USDA FSIS safe temperature for reheated leftovers. In a microwave, cover loosely, heat in short intervals, and stir between intervals; check the temperature in more than one spot.

For longer storage, freeze cooled soup in airtight, freezer-safe containers for up to 2 to 3 months for best quality, leaving a little room for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or reheat gently from frozen in a covered saucepan with a splash of broth. Potatoes can become somewhat softer after freezing, but the soup will still be usable. Do not leave the soup at room temperature for extended storage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Mexican chorizo instead of Spanish chorizo?

Yes, but the texture and flavor will change. Mexican chorizo is fresh and uncooked, so remove it from its casing, crumble it, and cook it thoroughly before the vegetables; ground meat must reach 160°F (71°C). It will make the broth richer and more strongly seasoned, so taste before adding salt. Spanish chorizo is cured and firm, which is why this recipe slices it.

Do I need to peel the potatoes?

No. Yukon Gold skins are thin, and leaving them on saves prep time and gives the soup a more rustic look. Scrub the potatoes well and remove any blemishes. Peel them if you prefer a smoother, more uniform texture or are using potatoes with thick, rough skins.

Can I make the soup ahead?

Yes. Make it through the final step, cool it promptly, and refrigerate it within 2 hours. The flavors mingle overnight, while the potatoes continue to absorb broth. Reheat gently with a splash of broth if needed, and bring leftovers to 165°F (74°C). For the best kale texture, you can also prepare the soup without the greens and stir them in while reheating.

Why is my soup greasy?

Chorizo releases fat as it browns, and the amount depends on the sausage. Spoon off some of the orange oil before adding the vegetables if there is a deep layer in the pot, but leave enough to coat them and carry the paprika flavor. If the finished soup looks oily, let it stand briefly and skim the surface with a spoon.

Can I make this soup without beans?

Yes. Omit the beans and add another ½ pound (225 g) of potatoes, or use an extra cup (150 g) of diced carrots or another vegetable. If you simply leave the beans out, the soup will be less filling and a little thinner; mashing a few potatoes into the broth can add body.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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