Soup Wars! My Chickpea and Chorizo Soup

There is always a fresh pot of homemade vegetable soup bubbling on my stove in winter, much to the disgust of Mr Bambini. He hates soup. Hates it! He always gets this withering look of disappointment when l announce the nightly dinner, especially if the word ‘soup’ comes out of my mouth. He says it doesn’t fill him up, he says he needs meat. I say he needs to lose a few kilos and a night of vegie soup won’t hurt him.

But we have come to an agreement, and we’ve united my love of soup with his love of having meat in every meal.  Let me introduce to you the Chickpea and Chorizo Soup, where vegie soup and meat become best friends. Yep it was smiles all round when l served this little number last week, even the kids demolished their helping. So if you have the same problem at your place with ‘soup vs. meat’ war then you best be printing this baby off.



Chickpea and Chorizo Soup
Serves 4
Prep and Cook Time 30 Minutes
Cooking Difficulty – SIMPLE!


Pinch of saffron threads
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 (340g) chorizo sausages, chopped coarsely
1 large brown onion, diced
2 (200g) trimmed celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
400g can chopped tomatoes
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed


1. Combine saffron and 1 cup (250ml) boiling water in a small bowl. Stand until needed.

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat; add chorizo. Cook, stirring until brown. Remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon; set aside. Add the onion, celery and garlic to the pan; cook, stirring, until the onion softens. Add the saffron water, undrained tomatoes and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, partially covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chickpeas.

3. Remove two cups of soup and puree in a blender or food processor. Return to soup along with chorizo. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

*Best served with a loaf of crusty bread. And may l just say – it’s YUM and oh so easy to make! *