Leek, potato and chorizo soup
Spanish Chorizo is a great companion to a basic soup recipe. The chopped chorizo is roasted in the oven to concentrate their flavour. They are added to the top of the soup, along with their rich juices.
Four medium leeks trimmed (500g / 1lb 2oz)
Two medium potatoes (500g / 1lb 2oz)
One Medium onion
150g / 6oz Spanish chorizo
1 litre / 1.8 pints stock, fresh or water and two stock cubes
225ml / ½ pint milk
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Finely chop the leeks and onions.
Peel and chop the potatoes into small cubes.
Chop the sliced chorizo into smallish pieces (see picture below).
If using stock cubes, dissolve them in hot water.
The best Spanish chorizo is available from the meat counter. Ask them to slice it for you to save work. Nowadays spicy chorizo sausage is becoming more popular but be aware that it does have a lot of heat to it. Delicious for some but a bit too spicy for others, you decide which is best for your taste buds.
Melt butter in a pan on a medium heat. Turn the heat to low then add the leeks, onions and potatoes to the pan. Cook on the low heat for 10 minutes. Turn the ingredients twice whilst cooking.
Preheat the oven to 200°C / fan 180°C / 400°F / Gas 6.
STEP 2Add the stock and milk to the pan and cook for a further 20 minutes until the potatoes are softened and cooked through.
Ten minutes before the soup is cooked, place the chopped chorizo on a baking tray, drizzle over the olive oil then place in the oven for the remaining ten minutes.
Roasting chopped chorizo
If you want a smooth soup, which we recommend for this recipe, then blend the soup in a food processor / blender. Reheat for two minutes.
Serve the soup in a bowl. Remove the chorizo from the oven and sprinkle some of it over each bowl of soup. Serve immediately with crusty bread.