CHORIZO, TOMATO & BEAN STEW

It’s not truly winter without a hearty and filling chorizo dish. My finance goes nuts for chorizo; I put it in any meal and he thinks it’s unbelievably tasty. I don’t like to eat this type of sausage too much, as it is a bit fatty but when I do I enjoy the hell out of it. This chorizo, bean and tomato stew is very simple but tastes like it has been slow cooked for a few hours. If you don’t have 5 bean mix on hand you could use red kidney beans or butter/cannellini beans. Bay leaves are imperative to this recipe and can be purchased for under $2 at any major supermarket.  I used fresh rosemary, being in possession of a very fragrant bunch due to a wedding I attended on the weekend, but dried rosemary would work just fine as well.  If you like spice, add smoked paprika or chilli powder when adding in all the remaining ingredients. I enjoyed eating this on its own, but you can add it to a bed of rice, toasted bread or mashed potato. 

INGREDIENTS

• 250g chorizo, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 x 400g tin 5 bean mix, rinsed & drained
• 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves 
• 2 tablespoons fresh or dried rosemary 
• 1 cup beef stock 

COOKING 

1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add chorizo slices (do not add any oil as the chorizo will release oil) until slightly darker in colour. Add red onion to the pan and cook, stirring often for 2 minutes or until onion has softened. 

2. Add the garlic, beans, tomatoes, bay leaves, rosemary and beef stock to the pan, cover and bring to the boil. When boiled reduce the heat to a medium simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has absorbed. Remove from heat, stir in a pinch of sea salt & pepper and serve warm, sprinkled with fresh parsley or chives if you have them on hand. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 8-10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x Emily