Equipment
Ingredients
Meat & Aromatics
- 200 g cured spanish chorizo, whole link
- 15 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 2 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic, minced
Base & Liquid
- 5 g smoked paprika, sweet or hot depending on preference
- 400 g crushed tomatoes, canned
- 500 ml chicken broth
- 400 g canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Finishing
- 10 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 598 kcal
- Protein
- 39 g
- Carbohydrates
- 70 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fiber
- 17 g
- Sugar
- 11 g
- Sodium
- 1633 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 1 mg
- Potassium
- 1735 mg
- Calcium
- 211 mg
- Iron
- 8.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 166 mg
- Phosphorus
- 393 mg
- Zinc
- 4.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 181 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 113 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 48 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.09 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.17 mg
- Niacin
- 3.8 mg
- Folate
- 51 mcg
- Water
- 222 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a chef's knife and cutting board, slice the chorizo into 5 millimeter thick rounds. Wash the knife, cutting board, and your hands thoroughly with hot soapy water after handling the meat to prevent cross-contamination.
Place a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and sliced chorizo. Sauté until the meat releases its red oils and is fully cooked through, ensuring it reaches a safe internal temperature of 74°C/165°F.
Add the diced onion and red bell peppers to the pot, stirring to coat them in the flavored oil. Sauté until the onions become translucent and the peppers have softened.
Stir the minced garlic and smoked paprika into the vegetable mixture. Mix continuously for one minute until highly fragrant, taking care not to let the spices burn on the bottom of the pan.
Pour the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth into the pot. Firmly scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to deglaze and release any caramelized browned bits into the liquid.
Bring the liquid to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer at around 90°C/195°F. Simmer uncovered to allow the rich flavors to meld and the broth to reduce slightly.
Fold the drained white beans into the stew. Mix gently and heat through for 5 minutes until the beans are completely warm and the stew reaches your desired thickness. Taste and add sea salt if necessary.
Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley, portion the hot stew into warmed dinner bowls, and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Using a high-quality semi-cured Spanish chorizo is essential here, as it provides the primary seasoning, color, and fat base for the entire dish.
- If you prefer an even richer, creamier stew, remove half a cup of the cooked beans, puree them with a splash of the hot broth, and stir the mixture back into the pot before serving.
- Smoked paprika burns very quickly due to its high sugar content. Ensure you only toast it for a maximum of 60 seconds before adding the tomatoes and stock to rapidly drop the pan temperature.
- Do not aggressively salt this dish in the early stages. The chorizo and broth will concentrate as the stew reduces, which naturally increases the sodium levels.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Flavors deepen significantly overnight. Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 3 months — The texture of the beans may become slightly softer upon thawing.
Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until simmering, adding a splash of water if the stew has thickened too much in the fridge.
Troubleshooting
Stew is too thin and watery
Cause: Not simmered long enough to evaporate excess liquid, or the beans did not release enough starch
Fix: Use the back of your wooden spoon to mash a quarter cup of the beans against the side of the pot, then stir them back in to naturally thicken the broth
Prevention: Ensure you simmer the stew uncovered and maintain a steady, gentle bubbling action
Broth tastes bitter or acrid
Cause: The smoked paprika was scorched in the hot oil before the liquids were added
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Have your tomatoes and broth open and ready to pour immediately after toasting the spices for 60 seconds
Cultural Context
This stew is heavily inspired by traditional Spanish peasant dishes, particularly Fabada Asturiana and potaje de garbanzos, which rely on cured pork products to flavor simple, inexpensive legumes. The star ingredient is Pimenton de la Vera, a deeply smoky paprika made from peppers oak-smoked for weeks in the Extremadura region of Spain.
