Recipe from 'Come dine with me'

Spanish chorizo, chickpea and spinach soup

Chorizo is a pork sausage that has many different varieties and is eaten all over Spain. Most chorizo that you would buy in stores has been cured, but “fresh” chorizo, which is softer is also available. Chorizo is made by chopping or grinding the pork and “marinating” it in spices. Spanish paprika (sweet or spicey) is the spice which is gives chorizo its characteristic flavor and distinguishes it from other sausages.

Chorizo may be sliced and eaten alone or with crusty French-style bread or can be fried. It is very common to use it as an ingredient in other dishes, such as stews and soups.

Serves six
 

Ingredients

Half a ring of chorizo sausage, sliced

1 onion peeled and chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 large bag of washed, baby spinach

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tin of chickpeas

1 litre of chicken stock

1 tablespoon turmeric

extra virgin olive oil

2 hard boiled eggs

salt and pepper

Method

Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a pan and add the sliced chorizo. Fry for 2 mins.

Add the garlic and onion and fry until golden.

Then add the drained chickpeas, tomatoes and chicken stock.

Season with salt, black pepper and turmeric.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 40 mins.

Mix in the baby spinach and cook for a further 5 mins.

Remove a third of the mixture and blend.

Add the blended soup back into the pan and stir well.

Before serving sprinkle a good helping of chopped, hard boiled egg onto of the soup.