Chorizo, White Bean & Potato Stew Recipe

Rooted in Spain’s long tradition of hearty, home-style cooking, this recipe for chorizo, white bean and potato stew will bring truly authentic Spanish comfort to your kitchen. A rustic dish combining great quality Spanish cooking chorizos with creamy white beans and tender potatoes in a broth spiked with onions, garlic and smoky paprika. This one-pot stew recipe reflects the tradition of simple, soul-warming fare that has been enjoyed in Spanish homes for generations.

The recipe was inspired by a cycling trip I had down the Ebro River, from it's source, down into the famous Rioja wine region. It was served to us with a large chunk of bread, some of the local wine and was just perfect for hungry cyclists.

Servings 4 | Cook Time: 70 minutes | Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 Pack soft Cooking Chorizo, remove the skins and slice each one into 4-5 pieces
2 x white onions, thinly sliced
5 x cloves garlic, sliced
2 x red peppers, thinly sliced
2 x fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 x fresh bay leaf
1tsp Las Hermanas Hot Smoked Paprika or Las Hermanas Sweet Smoked Paprika (depending on how much heat you like)
2tbsp Sherry Vinegar
5 x medium sized potatoes, peeled and quartered
1Ltr Somerset Foodie Chicken Stock
2 x Jars Burcol Spanish White Beans
½ x bunch fresh parsley, picked and chopped
4 x tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A couple of pinches of salt

Instructions

1. Heat a large casserole dish, add in the olive oil and cook the onions, for at least 10 minutes, stirring every now and again. You want the onions to become golden in colour, but not burnt, so keep the pan on a medium heat.

2. Now add in the sliced red peppers and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes, until they have softened.  Then add in the garlic - continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes. 

3. Now add in the chunks of soft cooking chorizo and the bay leaf.  Continue to cook for a further 5 minutes. The chorizo will release amazing tasting oil into your pan as it cooks.

4. Add in the smoked paprika, mix it through, then splash in the sherry vinegar - let this bubble for a few moments and then throw in the fresh tomatoes. Cook this down for another 4 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened.

5. Now add in the quartered potatoes. Mix these through to coat them in all those beautiful cooking juices and then cover everything with the chicken stock. Bring this to a gentle simmer and leave (without a lid) for around 30 minutes. You want the potatoes to cook through and the liquid to reduce, intensifying all the flavours.

6. After 30 minutes, have a taste of the broth - check for seasoning and whether the potatoes are soft. The beans are already cooked, but you want to give them around 10 minutes at the end of the cooking to absorb those beautiful flavours. So if the potatoes have cooked through, you can add in the beans for the final 10 minutes.

7. Serve your stew with a scatter of fresh parsley, a drizzle of oil and hunk of lovely bread.

Cooking Tips

It's really important to spend the time slowly caramelising the onions and the start, this develops the natural sugars in the onions and creates an amazing layer of flavour.

Cooking chorizo will definitely give you the best results for this dish, they are softer and will release so much more flavour into the dish. You technically can still use cured chorizos, but as they have been dried during the preservation process, they will become hard and chewy and your end dish will not have the rich flavour that makes it so good.

If you have time, once everything is cooked, turn the heat off and leave the stew to cool a little. The flavours will continue to develop in the pot and everyone will taste it a little better when it's not boiling hot!

Most potatoes will work here although I do prefer a Maris Piper or King Edward. The Spanish have a particular technique for chopping these up once peeled - they slice half way through the potato and then twist the knife to crack the potato in half. This make quite a rough cut which help to thicken the stew.

Serving Suggestions

This is a classic One-pot Spanish stew so really doesn't need much fuss. Simply serve with a chunk of good bread. I like to drizzle a little olive oil over mine - choose an olive oil with a good peppery flavour like our O-Med Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Variations and Substitutions

This dish will work just as well with jarred butter beans, lentils or even chickpeas, simply substitute the same quantity towards the end. You can also add in the earthy flavours of cavolo nero which does provide great colour - add some torn up leaves about 15 minutes before the end.

Storage & Leftovers

I always try to make more of this dish than I am going to eat - I love having leftovers the next day, it almost improves with a night in the fridge.