Zoup alors!

      5 Comments on Zoup alors!

Sometimes recipes come from unlikely sources. There’s a website I read that’s all about design compromises for apartment living. Not that I live in an apartment anymore, but it’s a good blog and the writers/editors have a good eye for design. There’s a subsection of the site that deals specifically with kitchen issues. And that works for me, because I’m all about the incredibly useful kitchen gadgets and organization ideas. Very rarely, one of the writers will feature a dish they just made. I cribbed this recipe from there, edited it to suit my preferences, and I’m really pleased with the results!

The dish reminds me of a tapas I’ve had called Andalusian Chickpeas; if I simply simmered the broth down dramatically, I think I would be right there.

I haven’t settled on a name for this recipe. Chorizo and Chickpea Soup? Chorizo and Garbonzo Soup? Alliteration or Rhyme? The latter lends itself to abbreviation; the girlfriend quickly called this “‘zo and ‘zo soup” or even just “zoup”. Mmm, I bet a dollop of sour cream would really set off the savory.


Chorizo & Garbanzo Zoup
makes about 2 quarts
1 hour, easy

Place a heavy pan over medium-high heat and add…
   12 ounces chorizo (cured, the spanish kind)
      chopped or crumbled into bite-size pieces
Cook for about 5 minutes or until it starts browning and smoking. Remove and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

Drain off and save the chorizo oil. Add to the pan …
   1 teaspoon of the chorizo oil
   1 large white onion, chopped and thinly sliced
   4 stalks of celery, chopped
… and cook for about 5 minutes or until it begins to turn soft. Add …
   1 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
   2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
… and cook for another 2 minutes or until golden and fragrant.
Add …
   chorizo from above
   3 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Cook all together for 1 minute, stirring, until the beans are well coated with the onions and oil.

Add …
   4 cups chicken broth
   1/2 cup white wine
… and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and add …
   1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
   1 teaspoon olive oil
Simmer for about thirty minutes or until slightly reduced. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving. (Maybe already be salty enough from the chorizo.)

5 thoughts on “Zoup alors!

  1. abrichar

    Oooooh. That sounds so good. As someone who is convinced that any meal can be improved by adding chickpeas, I’m all over this.

    I’ll let you know what happens when I make it, and what the inevitable tweaks are.

    Reply
    1. browse Post author

      I had left-overs for lunch, and it’s a bit salty for my tastes. Even with low-sodium chicken broth, next time I would consider subbing water for some of the broth, and see how that works. You can always add more salt, but once there’s too much, your options are limited.

      Where do you get good spanish chorizo? Seems like I have to hit PastaWorks to find it.

      Reply
      1. abrichar

        Hmm, good question. I so rarely eat/cook with meat that I don’t really have a place that pops to mind. I buy most of my meats at New Seasons, or occasionally Gartner’s County Meats out by the airport. They really are an amazing butcher shop.

        Good tip about the salt. Maybe a homemade heavy veggie stock instead of chicken broth. The chorizo offers plenty of meaty flavor, so I don’t think you’d miss the broth.

        Reply

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