Chorizo Black Bean Soup

This time of year has turned into soup making season for me. When I was a kid I always thought soup was boring and wouldn't keep me full long enough. Just goes to show how life brings about new opinions. I now love soup. For all the warmth, diversity and last but not least for the long lasting contentment it can bring. I also just love that really you can create an amazing dish that gets better the day after with boring old, saggey veggies and leftovers.

Here is a new recipe I made up because I had fresh chorizo, chickepeas and black beans in the fridge. Left overs from Huevos Rancheros....see recipe in an earlier post (well worth the time & effort).

You could skip the chorizo and replace it with smoked tofu as long as you make sure to add lots of Spanish smoked paprika powder. Same stuff they put in chorizo that brings that amazing orange/red color and smokey flavor.

Here are the ingredients I used:

2 fresh chorizo sausages (200 grams of smoked or silken tofu)
1 dl pre-soaked & cooked black beans (you could also use tinned)
1 dl pre-soaked & cooked chickpeas (you could also use tinned)
1 onion
2 celery stalks
1/2 courgette
1 red paprika (you could also use green)
1 canned cherry tomatoes (regular canned chopped tomatoes will also work)
1 stock cube, veggie or chicken
1-2 pinches of Spanish smoked paprika powder (called Pimenton in Spanish)
6 dl water
salt & pepper

optional - chopped coriander & creme fraiche to top the finished soup.

1. Chop the onion and celery and fry on a low heat in a large pan. 
2. Chop the courgette, paprika and chorizo (or tofu if you're replacing that with the chorizo) - add to the pan and fry.
3. Add the beans, fry for a minute
4. Then add the stock, canned tomato & water. 
5. Season with salt & pepper and allow to simmer on a low heat for 20min. 
6. Taste and season more if you feel it's needed. Sometimes adding another half stock can add that missing balance. 
7. Allow to further simmer for 10min and then taste again. 
8. If your happy with the taste then serve up the soup and enjoy! If not, then allow the soup to further simmer another 10min.