Adeline Olmer
- Jan 27, 2022
- 3 min read

Baby it's cold outside—white bean chorizo soup anyone?

It’s been very cold where I live in Westchester, New York, and this Saturday they are predicting a snow storm. I’m thrilled. The idea of watching the snow fall and accumulate on everything it touches warms my heart. I can sit at my desk in front of my computer without worrying about going anywhere except to get up and add some logs to the fire. I allow myself to be lulled by the white wonderland happening around me.

What to cook for dinner? It feels like it should be simple and whole-hearted. With a flavor that fills me with warmth while the ingredients mingle to create a robustness worthy of the weather.

The perfect recipe is a white bean chorizo soup. It is filling enough to be a one-dish meal with so much aroma you’ll savor every bite—it’s easy to make.

White Bean Chorizo Soup

Note: Chorizo sausage is spicy, adding a nice punch to the soup. If you don’t like spice, you can substitute another type of sausage. I suggest you use a turkey sausage; I use Shady Brook Farms Hot Italian turkey sausage. (Despite its name, it is not spicy but is full of flavor) or their sweet Italian sausage both are excellent.

Chorizo comes fully cooked or dry-cured. Do not use the dry-cured. Ask the butcher if you have trouble finding it.

Serves 6 Prep time: 20 minutes Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large Spanish onion, diced small

4 large garlic cloves, chopped fine

48 fluid ounces of low-salt chicken broth or more

1 lb smoked pork Chorizo sausage, precooked (do not use the dry cured sausage). Sliced into ¼” rounds.

8 ounces of button mushrooms, sliced

2 cans, white beans, 15.5 ounce each, you can add a third if you like your soup thick

Chicken bouillon, low-salt, 2 or more tablespoons to taste

2 bay leaves

1 small container of baby spinach, if you use frozen spinach add about 2 cups.

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated parmesan cheese, enough to add at serving

Parsley chopped for serving

Serve with a crispy loaf of bread and good butter.

Directions

In a large pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat, add oil, when hot add onions and cook until transparent without burning.
Add the garlic and the chorizo and cook until they start to brown; keep stirring to make sure all the sausage starts to brown.
Add the mushrooms, stirring to combine.
Add the white beans continue, stirring.
Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer.
Add bay leaf, spinach and cook for 20 to 30 minutes.
Taste and add 1 tablespoon of the chicken bouillon if needed. After each addition, blend well and taste. Add more if needed to strengthen the flavor.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve in large bowls with a pinch of parsley and a bowl of parmesan cheese to pass around.

If you are in the path of the storm, go out and have fun or stay warm and watch it, but either way, answer the question of what's for dinner by making this soup. It doesn’t take long and the flavor is so worth it.

Stay safe!

Did you hear about my OUTRAGEOUS goal?!

Ending one year and starting a new one is an opportunity to think BIG!!!

FOLLOW ALONG

Here Is What's Happening

This week I purchased a series of interviews that Steve Harrison did of bestselling authors. I listened to Tim Ferris talk about how he marketed his book to be a mega-bestseller. The talk was amazing, packed with information and ideas. I found his idea of working with corporations who want to purchase your book as a giveaway, coupled with a talk or cooking class. So much to think about!
I’m designing a video cooking class. It’s very exciting, I’ll tell you more about it as it progresses.
I have a list of interesting podcasts I’m going to start contacting.