Spanish Chorizo and Potato Soup
The first pot I made went into the sink half-eaten. I’d grabbed fresh Mexican chorizo by mistake, and it melted into a greasy orange slick instead of holding its shape. You want the cured Spanish kind, the firm link that slices into coins. Browned first, it leaves behind a brick-red fat that the onions and peppers soak up, and that’s most of the flavor right there.
I add pearl barley too. It’s not traditional, I know. But it thickens the broth a little as it simmers and makes a bowl feel like dinner instead of a starter, and the corn goes in at the very end so it stays sweet and pops between your teeth. We eat it with thick slices of sourdough for dunking.
A brothy Spanish chorizo and potato soup for cold weeknights, ready in about an hour. Smoked paprika and tomato turn the broth deep red. The potatoes turn tender and the barley stays a little chewy. It thickens overnight, so add a splash of broth when you reheat, and it'll keep four days in the fridge or three months frozen.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the edges crisp and the pot fills with red fat. Lift the slices out with a slotted spoon and set them on a plate, leaving the fat behind.1 tbsp olive oil, 8 oz Spanish chorizo
- Add the onion and bell pepper to the chorizo fat and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until soft and starting to color at the edges. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant.1 large yellow onion, 1 red bell pepper, 3 cloves garlic
- Sprinkle in the smoked paprika and stir for 30 seconds so it blooms in the fat without scorching. Add the potatoes and rinsed barley and stir until everything is coated in red oil.2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 1/4 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, 2/3 cup pearl barley
- Pour in the tomatoes with their juice and the broth, then season with the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the barley is tender but still chewy and the potatoes give easily to a fork.1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Return the browned chorizo to the pot along with the corn. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Taste, adjust the salt, and thin with a little more broth or water if the soup is thicker than you like.1 1/2 cups corn kernels
- Ladle the soup into bowls and scatter the parsley over the top. Serve hot with crusty bread on the side.1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
Nutrition
Notes
Rinse the barley until the water runs clear so the broth doesn't turn cloudy and starchy. For a gluten-free pot, swap the barley for 2/3 cup long-grain rice and cut the covered simmer to 20 minutes.
You might also like our Minestrone Soup with Chicken.
made a full pot and it fed us for three days. used the dry cured chorizo from the deli case like you said, the fat it leaves in the pot is everything. threw in a handful of spinach at the end too