Spanish White Bean Stew.

Ingredients

To make this Spanish white bean soup, here are the ingredients that you will need:

• White beans – Dry or cooked (canned/jarred). If using dry beans, you’ll need to soak them first.
• Spanish chorizo – Either a U-shaped one or a short, thick one (like in the photo above). Make sure it is Spanish chorizo.
• Pancetta – If you can’t find Spanish panceta, use Italian pancetta. If you can’t find either, you can use pork ribs, so you’ll have the pork flavor and delicious meat. Don’t use bacon, since it would change the flavor of the dish a lot.
• Spanish morcilla – A type of blood sausage. The morcilla used is morcilla de guiso, or morcilla oreada (which means has been air cured). If you can’t find Morcilla, you can skip it.
• Tomato – You’ll grate the tomato so use a juicy one.
• Italian green pepper – Or cubanelle pepper. You can use a green bell pepper if you can’t find it.
• White onion – I recommend using white or sweet onion, but you can use a yellow onion if needed.
• Carrots – Some recipes include carrots, and some don’t. I like including them since they add a delicious, sweet contrast. And it’s one more vegetable.
• Garlic cloves – Use fresh garlic cloves, not store-bought minced garlic or garlic powder.
• Chard – Adds extra flavor and more vegetables, but some versions of the stew don’t include it so feel free to skip.
• Smoked paprika powder – Adds color and flavor. If you can’t add smoked paprika, use regular paprika.
• Water – Or vegetable stock if you prefer.
• Olive Oil – For frying the meat and vegetables.
• Salt
• Black pepper

Recipe Tips

• Traditionally Potaje de chícharos is made with dried white beans, but if you don’t want to soak beans first, you can use canned beans. The cooking times will be reduced to 40 minutes instead of 1.5 hours.
• In my opinion, it’s crucial to sauté the vegetables before adding the water or vegetable stock. This will create the base flavor of the stew. However, some people like to add everything at once and cook it for longer over low heat.
• For the chorizo, be sure to use Spanish chorizo. Many other cuisines have similar meat and are sometimes even called the same, but the flavors are different.
• Smoked paprika is the key ingredient to add when you can’t find Spanish chorizo. It gives a very similar flavor to the dish, so don’t skip it if possible.
• If using vegetable stock instead of water, you may want to reduce the extra salt you add to the stew.

How to Make Spanish White Bean Stew – Step by Step Instructions

First, if you’re using dry white beans, soak them for at least 8-10 hours before using them in this recipe.

Prepare the vegetables: Cut the green pepper into small pieces, slice the carrots, and mince the garlic cloves.

Peel and finely dice the onion. Also, grate the tomato pulp into a small bowl and wash and roughly chop the chard.

Next, cut the chorizo, pancetta, and morcilla (blood sausage) bite-size pieces.

Then heat the olive oil in a large pot and cook the chorizo, pancetta, and morcilla over low heat for 5-7 minutes until they release their juices and change color. Remove the meats from the pan once cooked.

In the same pot, add the grated tomato and the smoked paprika powder. Cook over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add the rest of the vegetables, except the chard, and sauté over medium-low heat until soft, golden, and fragrant.

Next, add the beans as well as the meat, black pepper, and salt to the pot. Then pour in the water or vegetable stock.

If you’re using dry, soaked beans, simmer over low heat for 1.5 hours. If using cooked, canned beans, simmer for about 30 minutes. Then add the chard and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Taste the white bean stew and add more salt and/or pepper if needed. Then serve and enjoy!