As a child, the story of the »Suppenkaspar« (a cautionary tale from an old German children’s book) would have been absolutely spot on for me. Kaspar did not like soup, neither did I. Luckily my mom made other food as well. My dislike for soup has changed a little over the years. It’s not a 360° turn, because I still do not like a clear soup (which is basically just flavored water), but it’s much better now. Place a bowl of flavorful soup with loads of stuff innit in front of me… I’m all in! Something like this easy Chorizo & White Bean Soup, for example. An absolute favorite in our house for many years already. I think this would have brought Kaspar to the table as well. Poor chap!
I mean… who would say this isn’t a good-looking soup?! Nobody, right?! Well, if you are vegetarian or vegan, this might not be the right soup for you, but everyone else? The soup has more stuff innit than water/liquid! The perfect soup for me!
I truly enjoy preparing soups like this. Beans and other pulses are great in a soup. So easy to work with and also healthy – dietitians always tell you to include plenty of pulses in your diet. Well and the chorizo… I also love to use that type of sausage for soups and stews. They add so much flavor! You don’t need much of it. Just enough to add flavors and a bit of a different texture. A little bit of chorizo never hurts in a soup. Although soups and stews made with veggies only are also great, of course!
About those giant white beans… I usually use dried beans for my recipe. You have to let them soak in water for quite some time and cook them for some time before you can use them in a recipe. Unfortunately, you have to do that beforehand so the beans are cooked through and are then good to eat. If you add them directly to a soup, they will not be soft enough when everything else is done. Anyone who has ever bitten into a stubborn bean that hasn’t been cooked long enough will know what I mean. Giant white beans take even longer to cook. The bigger the beans, the longer the cooking time. Obviously. If you don’t want to invest the extra time and effort here, you can, of course, use precooked beans from a can. Absolutely fine!
The other ingredients in the soup are not as problematic as the beans. You may need to be a little careful with the harissa paste* though. It’s quite spicy. In case you are a little sensitive here, you should perhaps use less and add more at the end, if necessary/wanted. Depending on whether you use mild or spicy chorizo for the soup (there are several versions out there), the spiciness may be already at a good level for some people.
Oh, yes… the chorizo. There was something else I wanted to tell you. Chorizo comes in different spice levels and also in different textures. Everything from hard to super soft. The hard chorizo is great if you want to cut off thin slices (for a charcuterie board, for example) – the softer ones are normally better for cooking and grilling. The one I used here is softer and great for a BBQ… or for using it in soups and stews. In Spain, this version of chorizo would be used for a tapa where the sausage is cooked in tomato sauce. Delicious!
In theory, you can prepare the soup with all types of chorizo, but I think the soft one you would use for grilling is the most suitable here. If you can’t find that specific type of chorizo in a supermarket close by, you can replace it with other grilling sausages. In Germany, we have coarse bratwurst sausages, that would work here as well. As long as the sausage can be cut into thick slices and does not fall apart, it is good to go into the soup.
Well. There are a few more soup recipes here on the blog you can try. As mentioned above, my soups tend to be a bit more substantial. Loads of stuff added. A good example of that is my Italian Pasta & Meatballs Tomato Soup. That one is loaded with pasta and meatballs. Some might say it’s pasta and meatballs with a sauce instead of a soup.
My Minestrone with Swiss Chard is more along the lines of a classic soup… but still with a lot of stuff swimming in the soup. If you like Asian dishes, you might want to try my Coconut Red Curry Soup with Rice Noodles & Crispy Pork. That one is very delicious and really easy to prepare.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(4 servings)
14 oz. (400g) dried big white beans*
some olive oil for frying
12.3 oz. (350g) chorizo (for grilling/frying), in slices
2 medium red onions, sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
3-4 tbsp. harissa paste*
1/4 cup (60ml) dry red wine
9 oz. (250g) cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups (500ml) veggie stock
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour + a little water
salt, pepper
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
(4 Personen)
400g getrocknete weiße Riesenbohnen*
etwas Olivenöl zum Anbraten
350g Chorizo (zum Grillen/Anbraten), in Scheiben
2 mittelgroße rote Zwiebeln, in Spalten
2-3 Knoblauchzehen, fein gehackt
2 rote Paprikaschoten, in Stücken
3-4 EL Harissa Paste*
60ml trockener Rotwein
250g Kirschtomaten, halbiert
500ml Gemüsebrühe
1 EL Mehl (Type 405) + etwas Wasser (optional)
Salz, Pfeffer
1/2 Bund Petersilie (glatt), gehackt
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Let the dried white beans soak in water overnight – for at least 8-10 hours. The next day, cook the beans for about 90-120 minutes. The cooking time depends on the beans used. Follow the instructions on the packet. Drain the cooked beans and set them aside.
2. Cut the chorizo into thick slices. Peel the onions and garlic, cut the onion into wedges and finely chop the garlic. Wash and dry the bell peppers, remove the seeds, and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes, then cut them in half.
3. Add some olive oil to a large Dutch oven (or pot), heat up and fry the chorizo in it. The chorizo pieces should have browned nicely – this takes about 3-5 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pot and set it aside.
4. Add the onion slices and chopped garlic and sauté until soft and glossy. Add the peppers and fry for a few minutes until they have browned a little here and there. Next, add the harissa paste and roast briefly with the other ingredients. Return the chorizo to the pot and mix everything well. Deglaze with the red wine and allow the wine to cook down almost completely. Add the halved tomatoes and the drained beans and mix in. Finally, add the veggie stock and let the soup simmer for about 12-15 minutes. If you want the soup a bit thicker, mix the flour with a bit of water and add this mixture to the soup – let everything cook for a moment so the liquid can thicken up a bit. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
5. Chop the parsley and add it to the pot right before serving. We love to serve the soup with some bread.
Tips:
+ If you don’t like tomato skins in your soup, you can use a can of chunky tomatoes instead.
+ If you don’t want to soak and pre-cook dried beans, you can, of course, use canned beans. A large can of white beans* should work just as well.
1. Die weißen Riesenbohnen über Nacht in Wasser einweichen lassen – mindestens 8-10 Stunden. Am nächsten Tag dann für etwa 90-120 Minuten köcheln lassen. Die Kochzeit hängt von den Bohnen ab – auf die Hinweise auf der Packung achten. Die gekochten Bohnen abtropfen lassen und zur Seite stellen.
2. Chorizo in Scheiben schneiden. Zwiebeln und den Knoblauch schälen – die Zwiebel in Spalten schneiden und den Knoblauch fein hacken. Die Paprikaschoten waschen, trocknen, die Innereien entfernen und dann in mundgerechte Stücke schneiden. Kirschtomaten waschen, trocknen und dann halbieren.
3. Etwas Olivenöl in einem großen (gusseisernen) Topf erhitzen und die Chorizo darin anbraten – die Chorizostücke sollten gut Farbe bekommen haben – dauert 3-5 Minuten. Die angebratenen Wurststücke aus dem Topf herausnehmen und zur Seite stellen.
4. Die Zwiebelspalten und den gehackten Knoblauch in den Topf geben und glasig andünsten. Die Paprikastücke dazugeben und einige Minuten mit anbraten, bis sie hier und da etwas Farbe bekommen haben. Harissa Paste dazugeben und kurz mit anrösten lassen, dann die Chorizo zurück in den Topf geben und alles gut vermengen. Mit dem Rotwein ablöschen und den Wein weitestgehend einkochen lassen. Die halbierten Tomaten und die abgetropften Bohnen dazugeben und untermengen. Die Gemüsebrühe dazugeben und alles für etwa 12-15 Minuten köcheln lassen. Wer die Suppe etwas sämiger möchte, kann etwas Mehl mit Wasser verrühren und in die Suppe einrühren – kurz aufkochen lassen, bis die Flüssigkeit etwas angedickt hat. Nach Belieben mit Salz und Pfeffer abschmecken.
5. Die Petersilie hacken und kurz vor dem Servieren in den Topf dazugeben. Wir servieren die Suppe gerne mit etwas Brot.
Tipps:
+ Wer keine Tomatenschalen in der Suppe mag, kann hier stattdessen auch eine Dose gestückelter Tomaten verwenden.
+ Wer keine getrockneten Bohnen einweichen und vorkochen möchte, kann natürlich auch vorgekochte Bohnen aus der Dose verwenden – eine große Dose weißer Riesenbohnen* sollte hier ausreichen
Craving more? Keep in touch on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for new post updates and more. You can also contact me with any questions or inquiries!
Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Easy Chorizo & White Bean Soup
- Prep Time: 00:15
- Cook Time: 02:30
- Total Time: 12:00
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: -
- Cuisine: International
Description
A hot soup will warm you on a cold winter day – this delicious Chorizo & White Bean Soup does this job perfectly. The perfect winter dish!
Ingredients
14 oz. (400g) dried big white beans*
some olive oil for frying
12.3 oz. (350g) chorizo (for grilling/frying), in slices
2 medium red onions, sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
3-4 tbsp. harissa paste*
1/4 cup (60ml) dry red wine
9 oz. (250g) cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups (500ml) veggie stock
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour + a little water
salt, pepper
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Instructions
1. Let the dried white beans soak in water overnight – for at least 8-10 hours. The next day, cook the beans for about 90-120 minutes. The cooking time depends on the beans used. Follow the instructions on the packet. Drain the cooked beans and set them aside.
2. Cut the chorizo into thick slices. Peel the onions and garlic, cut the onion into wedges and finely chop the garlic. Wash and dry the bell peppers, remove the seeds, and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes, then cut them in half.
3. Add some olive oil to a large Dutch oven (or pot), heat up and fry the chorizo in it. The chorizo pieces should have browned nicely – this takes about 3-5 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pot and set it aside.
4. Add the onion slices and chopped garlic and sauté until soft and glossy. Add the peppers and fry for a few minutes until they have browned a little here and there. Next, add the harissa paste and roast briefly with the other ingredients. Return the chorizo to the pot and mix everything well. Deglaze with the red wine and allow the wine to cook down almost completely. Add the halved tomatoes and the drained beans and mix in. Finally, add the veggie stock and let the soup simmer for about 12-15 minutes. If you want the soup a bit thicker, mix the flour with a bit of water and add this mixture to the soup – let everything cook for a moment so the liquid can thicken up a bit. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
5. Chop the parsley and add it to the pot right before serving. We love to serve the soup with some bread.
Notes
+ If you don’t like tomato skins in your soup, you can use a can of chunky tomatoes instead.
+ If you don’t want to soak and pre-cook dried beans, you can, of course, use canned beans. A large can of white beans* should work just as well.
Links marked with an asterisk (*) are affiliate links (advertising/Werbung) to Amazon Germany. If you click on one of those links and buy something via this link, I will get a commission for that sale. The price of whatever you buy is not affected in any way by this.
