Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics & Base
- 15 ml olive oil
- 200 g spanish cured chorizo, diced into 1cm cubes
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic, minced
Liquids & Spices
- 5 g smoked paprika, ground
- 400 g crushed tomatoes
- 400 ml chicken broth, warm or room temperature
Beans & Finish
- 500 g cannellini beans, cooked, rinsed, and drained
- 2 g salt, fine
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 10 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 636 kcal
- Protein
- 43 g
- Carbohydrates
- 81 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fiber
- 19 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Sodium
- 1764 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 1 mg
- Potassium
- 1836 mg
- Calcium
- 243 mg
- Iron
- 10.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 195 mg
- Phosphorus
- 426 mg
- Zinc
- 4.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 122 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 65 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 47 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.12 mg
- Niacin
- 2.8 mg
- Folate
- 33 mcg
- Water
- 165 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a chef's knife and cutting board, dice the Spanish chorizo, yellow onion, and red bell pepper into uniform pieces. Mince the garlic cloves.
Place a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and diced chorizo. Cook until the chorizo fat renders out and the edges become lightly crisp, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Add the diced onion and red bell pepper to the pot, coating them in the rendered chorizo fat. Cook until the vegetables have softened and the onion is translucent.
Stir in the minced garlic and smoked paprika. Cook for just one minute to toast the spices and cook the raw garlic without burning them.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Scrape the bottom of the pot with your wooden spoon to release any browned bits of fond. Add the drained cannellini beans and bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot partially, and let the stew simmer. This gives the beans time to absorb the flavors and the broth time to thicken slightly. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper as needed.
Remove the pot from the heat. Ladle the hot stew into serving bowls and garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Using authentic cured Spanish chorizo is absolutely essential for this recipe. Unlike raw Mexican chorizo, the cured Spanish variety is loaded with smoked paprika and garlic, which slowly releases into the oil and creates the foundational flavor base for the entire stew.
- Do not aggressively salt the dish early on. As the liquid reduces and the cured pork simmers, the salinity will concentrate. Always wait until the final 5 minutes of simmering to adjust your salt levels.
- For a richer textural contrast, serve this stew with thick slices of toasted sourdough or a crusty baguette rubbed with a raw garlic clove.
- The starch from the beans acts as a natural thickener. If you use a different legume, such as chickpeas, you may need to simmer the stew slightly longer to achieve the same hearty consistency.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Flavors deepen significantly overnight. Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 3 months — Bean texture may soften slightly upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of water or broth if the stew has thickened too much in the fridge.
Troubleshooting
Stew broth is too thin and watery
Cause: Excessive liquid in the canned tomatoes or insufficient simmering time
Fix: Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash a quarter cup of the beans against the side of the pot, then stir well and simmer uncovered for an additional 5 minutes to thicken
Prevention: Ensure beans are fully drained before adding and simmer uncovered if looking thin
Garlic and paprika taste bitter
Cause: The spices burned in the hot chorizo fat
Fix: Cannot be fixed completely, but adding a pinch of sugar and an extra splash of broth can help mask mild bitterness
Prevention: Only toast spices for 30 to 60 seconds and have your liquids ready to pour immediately to stop the cooking process
Cultural Context
This rustic preparation strongly reflects the traditional Spanish concept of cocina de aprovechamiento, which translates roughly to the cooking of making the most out of what you have. The combination of cured pork, legumes, and paprika is a foundational flavor profile in Spanish comfort foods. It originated from countryside cooking where simple, non-perishable staples were transformed over a slow fire into hearty, sustaining meals for laborers.
