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How to make Smoky Spanish chorizo stew with spinach and chickpeas

Step 1 – Prepare veggie stock

• In a small pot, prepare your chicken/vegetable stock and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. 

Step 2 – Prepare base sauce and chorizo

• Heat half the oil in a pan on medium-high heat. 
• Add the onions and saute for around 5 minutes or until they become golden. 
• Add the chorizo sausage and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes or until you see the rich chorizo-infused oil start to release from the chorizo sausage. 

Step 3 – Add veggies and spices

• Add the potatoes and continue to simmer for another 3-4 minutes. 
• Add the garlic and can of diced tomatoes and continue to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the spinach and stir through. 
• Add the ketchup and white wine vinegar and stir through. Then add 3-4 ladles worth of stock, season to taste, and cover. Simmer for 5 minutes. 

Step 4 – Add chickpeas, season, and serve. 

• Finally, add the chickpeas and stir into the stew. Simmer for around 5 minutes. Add more vegetable stock if you want a more liquid consistency. 

Before serving, season with some fresh cracked black pepper, and serve with a few slices of fresh lemon.

Cooking with Spanish Chorizo

Spanish Chorizo is a fantastic ingredient to cook with, not only is it easy to prepare, but it brings with it layers of delicious flavors that add to any recipe. 

For this recipe, we use fresh (raw) chorizo which you’ll find in the refrigerated section of the supermarket. Fresh chorizo, called chorizo fresca in Spanish, is made with fresh ground pork meat and spices with use of smoked paprika featuring as the prominent spice in any chorizo products. 

Once cooked, fresh chorizo releases lots of delicious paprika-infused oil into the recipe and provides a warm, lightly spiced, and smoky flavor. 

Is chorizo spicy?

Typically, chorizo is not too spicy. Smoked Spanish paprika such as La Vera paprika uses a drying process with oak and holm oak wood and is not considered spicy. If you’re looking to add a little more heat to this recipe, add 1 teaspoon of crushed chili flakes or 1-2 fresh chilis.

Not into smoky flavors? Try using sweet paprika instead.

You can discover more about the various types of Spanish paprika in our paprika guide.

Where to buy fresh chorizo 

USA & Canada

Fresh chorizo may be called “cooking chorizo” in the US and it is the chorizo found in the refrigerated section of your local Spanish produce store or supermarket. Speak to your local butcher for fresh chorizo or order it online through popular Spanish produce stores such as La Tienda (US & Canada).

It’s the same type of chorizo that you can cook in a pan or on a BBQ grill. As it is a fresh (raw) meat product, it will have an expiry date and will require cooking before consumption. 

UK

Until recently, fresh Spanish chorizo was relatively easy to find in most supermarkets in the UK. However, due to tightened border controls for fresh meat products, it’s a little more difficult to source fresh chorizo in the UK. 

Ask your local butcher for fresh chorizo and online Spanish food importers such as Basco Fine Foods are also a good shout for Spanish chorizo. 

Europe

There are plenty of European supermarkets that stock fresh chorizo. LIDL has a great range of fresh, semi-cured, and cured chorizo and is found all over Europe. ALDI also stocks “Chorizo-style” pork sausages which will work just fine in this recipe. 

Online Spanish food and produce stores are plentiful and you’ll find a good range of specialty items, with many online retailers offering Europe-wide delivery and some even offer free delivery when purchasing over a certain amount. Some great online stores for Spanish goods are Gastronomic Spain, Jamonarium, just to name a few. 

Australia

Similar to the UK, tough border controls are prohibitive on imported fresh meat products so it may be tricky to find authentic fresh Spanish Chorizo in Australia.

Fortunately, there are plenty of local butchers and supermarkets that offer Spanish-style chorizo sausage which is perfect for this recipe. 

Both Coles and Woolworths sell Primo Continental Chorizo, a Spanish-style chorizo made from coarsely minced pork and spiced with paprika for a full-flavor. It’s also worth checking out European Supermarket chains such as ALDI for Spanish-style chorizo products.

Looking for more chorizo recipes?

Here are a few of our super-popular chicken and chorizo recipes:

One-Pot Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Stew

One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice (Arroz con Pollo)

Spicy chicken and chorizo rice

Spinach and Chickpeas

This recipe is heavily influenced by the Spanish Spinach and chickpeas recipe called Espinacas con garbanzos. The authentic recipe combines smoked paprika, chickpeas, spinach, breadcrumbs, and stock to make a rich and warming vegan friendly stew. 

We’ve used a majority of the ingredients found in this traditional Spanish recipe, plus added some delicious fresh chorizo which really brings out the smoky flavors and adds another layer of flavor.

Smoked paprika

If there is one spice that defines Spanish cuisine, it would have to be paprika, and the smoked paprika variety is incredibly popular. It is used in everything from seasoning meat and vegetable dishes, to adding depth and smoky flavors to soups, and stews. When it comes to smoked paprika, one variety stands tall in Spain, and that’s smoked paprika from the town of La Vera in the Extremadura region. 

Pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika)

Smoked paprika is arguably Spain’s most well-known variety, even if it’s just for the dishes that rely on it. Some of the most famous Spanish recipes use it: seafood paella, patatas bravas, just to name a few of the better-known Spanish dishes. In all honesty, you’ll find smoked paprika in a majority of Spanish recipes! 

Traditional Spanish smoked paprika is made by smoking peppers over a wood fire (holm oak or oak). La Vera (in Extremadura) is where the magic happens. The paprika here is still handmade and boasts a supreme color and taste. It adds an incredible richness to dishes and is a striking, brilliant red. 

Buy Pimenton de la Vera from Amazon.com

Chorizo Stew Nutrition Facts

FAQs and Cooking Tips

How long does Smoky Chorizo stew with spinach and chickpeas take to make? 

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time; 30-35 minutes
• Total time: 45 minutes

What is the best chorizo to use for this recipe?

Use fresh (raw) chorizo sausage that you find in the refrigerated section. 

Best way to store any leftovers?

Leftovers will last up to 3 days airtight container in the fridge, and up to 3 months when stored frozen.