A Deliciously Tasty Spanish Bean Soup Recipe
Are you looking for a new, versatile dish to add to your recipe collection? If so, Spanish bean soup is just the thing! By now you’re probably wondering what Spanish bean soup is, and how you can make it. Keep reading to learn how to create this simple, yet tasty soup that’s sure to be a new favorite.
What is Spanish Bean Soup?
Spanish bean soup is a hearty and delicious dish for meals or as an accompaniment to your main course. The Spanish bean is also known as the Garbanzo bean or the chickpea. This popular legume is very versatile and highly nutritious . It can be used in countless applications, but is an excellent choice for a soup dish.
This particular dish hails from a part of Spain called Andalusia. This particular style of soup was commonly eaten by poor working class individuals during the 1930s, but came to be celebrated by all classes over the years. However, there are two very popular versions. There is the ordinal from Andalusia and a slightly modified version from Madrid. The Andalusia version has a touch of spice, while the Madrid version is a bit more plain with a milder sausage and potato.
Try this soup out as a hearty meal for your family any time of the year. You may also choose to serve at large gatherings. Remember that this soup can also easily be modified to suit your tastes or dietary restrictions.
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 Chorizo sausage links
- 1 lb of dried Garbanzo beans
- 6 cups of water
- 3 ounces of chicken stock
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 lb of smoked ham
- 2 potatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 large or 2 small onions
- 1 ham bone
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp saffron
- Optional: rosemary, oregano, chopped thyme, ground cumin
Instructions
- The first step in this recipe is to wash your Garbanzo beans with clean water.
- It’s best to let your beans soak in water with a tablespoon of salt overnight if you have enough time. Try to soak them at least a few hours for the best results. If you don’t have the time to let the beans soak, you can try to boil them gently for half an hour to one hour to rehydrate them and make them softer.
- Chop up your garlic, onions, and ham along with your chorizo into pieces and add them to a pot. Add your chicken stock and turn your tote on medium heat.
- Next, you’ll need to quarter your potatoes into even sized pieces so that they cook through at the same time.
- You must strain the water from the beans that they were soaking a boiling initially. Pour your beans into the stock pot with the meat, veggies, and spices. Crank the heat to high and cook your beans, meat, veggies, and spices for approximately 15 minutes. Once they cook on high, reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 15 minutes.
- You’ll add your potatoes to the beans and cook them on medium for another half an hour.
- You may choose to add salt at this point, depending on your taste. Remember that chicken stock may be salty enough, so be sure to taste and add salt sparingly until it suits your taste.
Substitutions and Additions
As mentioned earlier, you can make substations to the recipe to accommodate your dietary requirements or tastes. For example, if you are a vegetarian or vegan, you can omit the chorizo and substitute the chicken stock for vegetable stock. In cases where you prefer a milder sausage to the spicy chorizo, you can add your choice of a mild ground sausage or whatever you prefer.
When it comes to vegetable substations, if you’re trying to cut down on carbs, you may substitute your potatoes for any hearty vegetables like a leek or even carrots and parsnips.
If you want to brighten up the soup and add some acidic quality to it, try to add some lemon juice in the end stages of cooking. Some other vegetable choices that may work well with this dish include tomatoes, kale, spinach, and broccoli rabe. It’s easy to make this dish on your own using the basic ingredients as a guide.
Serving Sizes
This dish serves six to eight people, but you can easily double the recipe if you have a large family, or you plan to have a large gathering of people. This dish is very filling and would be a hit for most applications.
Why Choose This Recipe?
This recipe is not only very delicious and versatile, it’s packed with proteins and vitamins. It’s a healthy addition to your diet and may provide some variety. However, this dish is also incredibly cost-effective. If you are like most people who are trying to save some money, this recipe is a winner. The cost of Garbonzo beans is quite affordable in most parts of the world and easy to find at your local grocery store or big box store.
You can also freeze this particular type of soup and portion it out for a meal later on, when you don’t feel like cooking. It’s a good choice if you like to meal prep as well, because this soup can last for a few days in the fridge without spoiling. If you plan to refrigerate this soup, it can last up to six days in the refrigerator. If you plan to have it for longer, be sure to freeze it immediately. It can last in the freezer for up to six months.
Try This Recipe
If you are looking for a very simple yet tasty soup to add to your diet, this is the perfect choice. It’s very hearty and nutritious, adan can be a great choice for those who are trying to keep their diet in check to avoid health problems or weight gain. Try it today and make it your own with this or other modifications to suit your particular tastes.
