This Spanish Chorizo and White Bean Stew is a hearty one-pot meal made with smoky Spanish chorizo, tender white beans, vegetables, and kale simmered in a rich tomato broth. The chorizo renders as it browns, adding plenty of savory, smoky flavor to the entire pot.
This is exactly the kind of easy stew that tastes like it cooked all afternoon but comes together quickly enough for a weeknight dinner. Serve it with plenty of crusty bread for soaking up the flavorful broth.
Why This Recipe Works
Spanish chorizo does much of the work in this simple stew. As it browns, the sausage renders flavorful fat that becomes the base for sautéing the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Tomato paste and a short simmer build a rich, smoky broth without requiring a long list of seasonings or hours on the stove.
White beans make the stew hearty and give the broth a little extra body, while fresh kale adds color and texture at the end. Everything comes together in one pot in under an hour for an easy, satisfying meal that is perfect for a weeknight dinner.
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Ingredients
- Spanish Chorizo - Use cured, hard Spanish chorizo rather than fresh Mexican chorizo. Browning the sliced sausage renders its flavorful fat, which becomes the base for sautéing the vegetables.
- Onion, Carrots, and Celery - This combination creates an aromatic base and adds subtle sweetness to the broth.
- Garlic - Add the garlic after the vegetables have softened so it can become fragrant without burning.
- Tomato Paste - Adds concentrated tomato flavor and gives the broth additional richness and color.
- White Beans - Canned white beans make this stew quick and easy. Drain them, but don't rinse them. The small amount of starch clinging to the beans helps give the broth more body.
- Bouillon and Water - Bouillon creates a flavorful broth without needing to keep cartons of stock on hand. You can substitute 2 cups of prepared chicken broth if preferred.
- Bay Leaves - Add subtle savory flavor as the stew simmers. Remember to remove them before serving.
- Kale - Stir chopped kale into the finished stew and cook just until tender and wilted.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Spanish Chorizo and White Bean Stew
Dice the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and set aside.
Cut the Spanish chorizo in half lengthwise, then slice it into thin half-moons.
Brown the Chorizo
Heat a Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced chorizo and cook until lightly browned and some of the fat has rendered.
Sauté the Vegetables
Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery directly to the chorizo and rendered fat. Sauté until the vegetables begin to soften and the onion becomes translucent.
Add the chopped garlic and cook briefly, just until fragrant.
Build the Stew
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes to deepen its flavor.
Drain the white beans, but do not rinse them. Add the beans to the pot along with the water, bouillon cubes, and bay leaves.
Bring the stew to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have come together.
Finish with Kale
Taste the broth and season with salt and black pepper as needed.
Stir in the chopped kale and cook just until wilted and tender. Remove the bay leaves, turn off the heat, and serve.
What to Serve with Chorizo and White Bean Stew
This stew is substantial enough to serve as a complete meal, especially with beans, sausage, vegetables, and kale all in one bowl.
Serve it with toasted baguette, crusty rustic bread, or Spanish Tomato Toast (Pan con Tomate) for a simple dinner. A crisp green salad also works well if you want something fresh alongside the rich, smoky stew.
Diana's Tips for Success
- Use Spanish chorizo, not Mexican chorizo. Spanish chorizo is a firm, cured sausage that can be sliced and browned. Fresh Mexican chorizo has a completely different texture and will change the character of the stew.
- Season at the end. Chorizo and bouillon can both contain quite a bit of salt. Wait until the stew has simmered before deciding how much additional salt it needs.
- Let the tomato paste cook. Giving the tomato paste a minute or two in the hot pan before adding the liquid removes some of its raw flavor and adds depth to the broth.
Top Tip
Don't rinse the beans. Drain away the canning liquid, but leave the beans unrinsed. That little bit of residual starch helps create a slightly thicker, more substantial broth.
Storage and Reheating
Allow leftover stew to cool before transferring it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm the stew gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat. The beans will continue to absorb some of the broth as the stew sits, so add a splash of water or broth when reheating if needed.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Marry Me Butter Beans
- Italian Beans and Greens
- Tuscan Borlotti Bean Soup
- Dutch Oven Chili Beans
- Split Pea and Barley Soup
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📖 Recipe
White Beans and Spanish Chorizo Stew with Kale
Equipment
- 1 Cutting Board and Chef's Knife
- 1 Dutch Oven or Deep Skillet
- 1 Spatula or Wood Spoon
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Spanish chorizo sliced
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- ½ cup carrots diced
- ½ cup celery diced
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 15-ounce can white beans, drained but not rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 2 bouillon cubes
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cups kale cleaned and chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients. Dice the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cut the Spanish chorizo in half lengthwise, then slice into thin half-moons.
- Brown the chorizo. Heat a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and some of the fat has rendered.
- Sauté the vegetables. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté in the rendered chorizo fat until the vegetables begin to soften and the onion is translucent.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste. Stir in the chopped garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring it into the chorizo and vegetables.
- Add the beans and broth. Drain the white beans, but do not rinse. Add the beans, water, bouillon cubes, and bay leaves to the pot. Stir well.
- Simmer. Bring the stew to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the kale. Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed. Stir in the chopped kale and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until wilted and tender.
- Serve. Remove the bay leaves, turn off the heat, and serve warm with crusty bread.
Notes
- Use cured Spanish chorizo, not fresh Mexican chorizo.
- Drain the canned beans without rinsing them. The starch left on the beans helps add body to the broth.
- Two cups of prepared chicken broth can be substituted for the water and bouillon.
- Taste before adding salt because both Spanish chorizo and bouillon can be quite salty.
- If the stew becomes too thick, add a small amount of water or broth until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Nutrition
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Diana Reis says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!