Tag Archives: chorizo

White Beans and Chorizo with Quick Marinated Tomatoes and Onions

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If you are looking for a flavorful, casual meal that puts creamy white beans at the fore, and gets to the table as quickly as possible, then this Mediterranean-inspired recipe from America’s Test Kitchen is for you. To pull it off, pair the beans with sweet cherry tomatoes or homegrown (or local) slicing tomatoes, sharp red onion, and meaty Spanish chorizo.

Quickly marinating the tomatoes and onion in sherry vinegar (don’t substitute any other vinegar) while the chorizo cooks helps bring out the tomatoes’ sweetness and softens the onion. Cooking the beans in the same oil used to crisp the chorizo imbues the dish with bold, meaty flavor, and adding smoked paprika amps up the smokiness of the dish.

A whole cup of coarsely chopped parsley, usually relegated to a garnish, elevates it to key ingredient status; it contributed freshness and color. We just cut it fresh from our herb garden. Adding water to the skillet before serving loosens everything up, and a final addition of extra-virgin olive oil adds glossiness.

There are many types of “Spanish style chorizo.” It can be both cured (hard like salami) and uncured (soft). Each is of a different texture, flavor and used in different ways. The recipe doesn’t specify cured or uncured chorizo, so we made it with uncured, fully-cooked chorizo which is what we had on hand. And we doubled the amount from 6 to 12 ounces.

Instead of purchasing grape tomatoes, we used our homegrown slicing tomatoes.

NOTE: *If using cured chorizo, reduce the smoked paprika to ¼ teaspoon.

White Beans and Chorizo with Quick Marinated Tomatoes and Onions

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil plus ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • ⅛ tsp. plus ½ tsp. table salt, divided
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • 12 oz. cherry tomatoes, quartered; OR slicing tomatoes chopped
  • 1 small red onion, quartered and sliced thin
  • 12 oz. uncured* Spanish-style chorizo sausage, links quartered, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 (15-oz.) cans cannellini beans, rinsed
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1⁄2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

Directions

  1. Whisk 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, ⅛ teaspoon table salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in medium bowl. Add 12 ounces quartered cherry tomatoes and ½ thinly sliced red onion, tossing to coat; set aside to marinate while cooking chorizo and beans.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 6 ounces Spanish-style chorizo (cut into ½-inch pieces) and cook until evenly browned and crisp, 4 to 6 minutes, stirring often. Using slotted spoon, transfer chorizo to paper towel–lined plate and set aside.
  3. Add 2 (15-ounce) cans rinsed cannellini beans, 3 minced garlic cloves, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, and remaining ½ teaspoon table salt to fat left in skillet, reduce heat to medium, and cook until beans are warmed through, 2 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Off heat, add ¼ cup water to skillet, scraping up any browned bits. Add chorizo, tomato-onion mixture, 1 cup coarsely chopped parsley, and remaining ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, stirring to combine. Serve with crusty bread.

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Adapted from a recipe for America’s Test Kitchen

Chickpeas with Spinach, Chorizo, and Smoked Paprika

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A traditional tapas from the southern Spanish region of Andalucia, this dish consists of tender stewed chickpeas, delicate wilted spinach, and bold North African-influenced spices. For the flavor backbone, the Spanish classics of saffron, garlic, smoked paprika and cumin are utilized.

Traditional addition of chorizo adds meaty richness, while curly-leafed spinach is the best choice for its sturdy texture in this brothy dish. That being said, we were unable to source curly-leafed spinach and had to go with baby spinach—not the best option, but it still worked.

Including the chickpeas’ flavorful, starchy canning liquid helps to give the dish more body. The picada is a traditional cooking thickener in Spain. This bread crumb-based mixture gives the stewed beans and greens just the right velvety texture and flavor boost.

It is good served over rice or with good crusty bread to sop up the flavorful broth. We just served it with a side salad.

Chickpeas with Spinach, Chorizo, and Smoked Paprika

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • Pinch saffron threads, crumbled
  • 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 oz. curly-leaf spinach, stemmed
  • 3 oz. Spanish-style chorizo sausage, chopped fine
  • 5 garlic cloves, sliced thin
  • 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 (15-oz.) cans chickpeas
  • 1 recipe Picada (recipe follows)
  • 1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar

Directions

  1. Combine 2 Tbsp. boiling water and saffron in small bowl and let steep for 5 minutes.
  2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add spinach and 2 tablespoons water, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted but still bright green, about 1 minute. Transfer spinach to colander and gently press to release liquid. Transfer spinach to cutting board and chop coarse. Return to colander and press again.
  3. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add chorizo and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, paprika, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in chickpeas and their liquid, 1 cup water, and saffron mixture and bring to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are tender and liquid has thickened slightly, 10 to 15 minutes.
  4. Off heat, stir in picada (recipe below), spinach, and vinegar and let sit until heated through, about 2 minutes. Adjust sauce consistency with hot water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Picada:

  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds
  • 2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • Pinch pepper

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 F. Pulse almonds in food processor to fine crumbs, about 20 pulses.
  2. Add bread, oil, salt, and pepper and pulse bread to coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses.
  3. Spread mixture evenly in rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring often, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. (Picada can be stored in airtight container for up to 2 days.)

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Recipe from The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook by America’s test Kitchen

Spanish Chorizo, Ham and White Bean Stew

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This is a quick-and-easy version of the Spanish tapa known as Fabada Asturiana, a hearty stew of dried beans, sausage and other smoky, porky ingredients. Typically morcilla—which is blood sausage—and pork belly are main ingredients but Milk Street pared back on the meats, using only chorizo and ham, both of which lend deep flavor to the broth.

Once a simple country dish, fabada is now a venerated symbol of the Asturias region of Spain. The dish gets its name from the large beans that are traditionally used in its preparation, but here canned white beans such as cannellinis work well—and save time. No soaking beans or cooking for hours!

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Milk Street prefers the relatively large size and creamy texture of cannellinis, but they say great northern and navy beans are fine, too. A pinch (make that a large pinch) of saffron adds a very Spanish flavor and fragrance, while giving the stew an alluring golden hue. Fabada is a hot and heavy dish and for that reason is most commonly eaten during winter, or cool months.

One huge misstep for us was not using our homemade ham stock in place of chicken broth. Either one, it was super tasty, and even better the next day when the flavors had a chance to marry (and go on a honeymoon 😉 )

RULE No. 18: Don’t Let Neutral Ingredients Stand Alone.

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Spanish Chorizo, Ham and White Bean Stew (Fabada)

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 6 medium garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tsp. saffron threads
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 8 oz. Spanish chorizo, casings removed, halved and thinly sliced
  • 8 oz. ham steak, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 1½ qts. ham or chicken broth, preferably homemade
  • 3 15½-z. cans white beans, rinsed and drained
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • Warmed crusty bread, to serve (optional)

Directions

  1. In a large pot over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, saffron and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is slightly softened, 5 to 8 minutes.
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  2. Add the chorizo and ham, then cook, stirring, just until the chorizo begins to release its fat, about 1 minute.
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  3. Stir in the broth, beans and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to medium and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat as needed to maintain a simmer, for 10 to 15 minutes.
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  4. Remove and discard the bay leaves, then stir in the scallions. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with bread.
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Tip: Don’t overcook the chorizo and ham after adding it to the sautéed onion mixture. If the pieces begin to sear or brown, they’ll be chewy and rubbery in the finished dish. Cook only until the chorizo begins to release some of its fat.

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Adapted from a recipe by Milk Street “The New Rules” cookbook