Soup's on

Chorizo, Potato and Spinach Soup

Photo and text by KARA DICAMILLO/ecoRI.org News contributor

I’ve found that one of the hardest meals to plan each week is lunch. 

There are only so many sandwiches and salads you can eat and, let’s face it, they just never taste as good when you make it yourself. But during these winter months making a pot of soup on Sunday has been just the answer. 

I can have it for dinner Sunday night and then again two more times for lunch during the week and not get tired of it. Not only is it easy to heat up a bowl of soup, but it always tastes better the few days after you make it anyway.

Derived from a recipe on Epicurious.com, almost every ingredient in this soup was found at the farmers market this past weekend. The chorizo gives a spicy flavor while the two kinds of potatoes and spinach make it hearty and filling.

Chorizo, Potato and Spinach Soup
Makes 8 servings

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 pound of chorizo, chopped
2 onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 pounds of sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into quarter-inch pieces
1 pound of white potatoes, peeled and cut into quarter-inch pieces
6 cups of chicken broth

1 pound of fresh spinach

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Transfer it to paper towels to drain.

Add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add all of the potatoes and cook until they begin to soften, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Add the broth and bring to boil, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Using a potato masher, mash some of potatoes in the pot to thicken it a bit. Add the browned chorizo to the soup and then stir in the spinach. Simmer just until wilted, about 5 minutes. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy.