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Spanish White Bean Stew with Sausage

Spanish white bean stew served in a white bowl with garlic bread.
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5 from 6 reviews

This easy and richly flavored white bean stew with chorizo sausage gets its inspiration from La Rioja region of Spain. Beans simmer with sausage, onions, swiss chard and garlic, plus some paprika and saffron. Finished with olives, roasted pepper and Manchego cheese.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 chorizo sausages (6 ozs total)
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • pinch of salt
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 tsp saffron (optional)
  • 2 cans of cannellini beans – 14.5 ozs each – drained and rinsed
  • 1 bunch of swiss chard (4 cups chard leaves)
  • 6 green olives, sliced
  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, sliced
  • shredded Manchego cheese, for topping the soup
  • crusty bread or garlic bread for serving

Instructions

  1. Brown the sausage: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the chorizo sausage. Brown the outside of the sausage by cooking for 5 to 7 minutes, turning it over occasionally. When browned, remove the sausage and place on a plate to cool. After the sausage cools, slice it to add back into the soup later.
  2. Sauté onion: Add the chopped onion to the soup pot. Reduce heat to medium low. Stir occasionally. When the onion begins to soften, after about 5 minutes, add the carrot and cook for a few more minutes.
  3. Add the garlic, along with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and the 2 tsp of paprika. Stir to combine with the onions. Cook for about 1 minute, until the garlic and paprika become fragrant.
  4. Add the liquid: pour the 4 cups of chicken broth into the pot, stirring to combine the ingredients. Raise the heat to get the liquid simmering, then return the heat to medium low to maintain the simmering.
  5. Stir in beans and sausage: Add the drained white beans to the soup, along with the sausage and saffron,  if using. Stir to combine. Continue simmering as you prep the chard.
  6. Prep the chard in 2 or batches. Rinse several of the leaves in a colander, allowing the leaves to drain. Take a sharp knife, and cut out the thick stems of the chard. Finely mince the chard stems, and add immediately to the soup. Chop the chard leaves, and measure out 4 cups of chopped chard leaves. Add the chopped chard leaves to the soup after the stems have been simmering for about 5 minutes. Stir to combine.
  7. Simmer the soup for a good 20 minutes after adding the chard. Get the olives, roasted peppers and cheese ready as the soup simmers.
  8. Finish the soup by stirring in the olives and roasted red peppers. Scoop the soup into bowls, topping with some shredded Manchego cheese. Serve with garlic bread or fresh crusty bread, and a glass of Rioja. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Piquillo peppers are a traditional ingredient in La Rioja region. If you can find roasted piquillo peppers, try using them instead of the basic roasted red peppers. 
  • Chorizo sausages are a popular ingredient in Spanish cooking. That said, I have found Andouille sausages to be a suitable substitute for chorizo in other recipes.
  • I list the saffron as optional as it is expensive. I wouldn’t go out and buy it just for this stew, but if you have some on hand, I’d encourage you to use it.

Find it online: https://cookingchatfood.com/white-bean-stew/

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