Vegetable and chorizo soup

Warm up with this flavoursome vegetable and bean soup finished with crisp cubes of chorizo.

You can freeze the cooked soup (after taking out the thyme) for up to 2 months. Then add some freshly cooked chorizo to serve.

By Sam and Mark

From The Hairy Bikers' Cook Off

Shopping list

Preparation time

less than 30 mins

Cooking time

30 mins to 1 hour

Serves

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 leek, cut into small chunks
• 1 large carrot, cut into small chunks
• 1 sweet potato, cut into small chunks
• 1 celery stalk, cut into small chunks
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 x 400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• small bunch thyme, tied together with string (optional)
• 570ml/1 pint vegetable stock
• 150g/5oz green beans, trimmed
• 1 raw chorizo sausage (about 110g/4oz), cut into small chunks

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the leek, carrot, sweet potato and celery and fry for 10-12 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften but don't colour.
2. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add the cumin, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, thyme, vegetable stock and green beans. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 40-45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
3. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the chorizo for 10-12 minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown.
4. Remove the thyme from the soup and stir in the chorizo. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Ladle the soup into warm soup bowls and serve with crusty bread on the side.