Lets face is: chorizo with good with anything! This soup especially. Its delicious, its effortless, and its “relatively healthy”. My mum sent me this recipe and I have made it many times. Although I’m not sure who’s recipe this is, anyone can make it. I usually double the recipe and freeze portions to defrost later for work lunches. It is quite a substantial sized soup anyways so make sure you have a large pot if you plan to double up.

The Recipe: Spanish Chorizo and Chickpea Soup
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
125g chorizo diced
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, undrained
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes (or 8 fresh ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped)
1 litre chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
250g spinach, destalked and finely chopped or baby spinach leaves left whole (I prefer the baby spinach)

Method:
Place olive oil in a large saucepan, heat, and add chorizo. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the chorizo releases its oils. Then add the chopped onion, celery, and garlic. Cook gently with the lid on for about 10 minutes until the onion is completely cooked. Then remove the lid and turn up the heat, cook for a minute to brown the onion.

Add the chickpeas with their liquid, chopped tomatoes and stock. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and the chickpeas have absorbed all the flavours. While the mixture is still simmering, add the spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach has wilted.

Serve in big warm bowls. This soup reheats well and the flavours improve.