A true winter warmer and one-pot wonder, this hardy, traditional Spanish chorizo and cannellini bean ragù will have you going for seconds. Packed-full of flavour and best served with crusty homemade ciabatta bread. this recipe calls for the cannellini beans to be soaked in lukewarm water overnight or you can purchase precooked tinned beans, in which case you will not have to soak them overnight.

0:20 1:20 15 EASY 4-6 SERVES

TO PREP TO COOK INGREDIENTS DIFFICULTY MAKES

Ingredients:

• ​100mL white wine

• 150mL extra virgin olive oil

• 150g carrots, diced

• 1/4 bunch celery, diced

• 100g red onion, finely diced

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced

• 750g tin tomatoes, diced

• 900g cannellini beans (soak overnight)

• 1/2 bunch thyme, finely chopped

• 1/4 bunch oregano, finely chopped

• 1/4 bunch basil, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp smoked paprika powder

• 1kg chorizo sausages, sliced 10mm

• 1 loaf of ciabatta bread, to accompany the meal

• Salt and pepper to taste

Methods:

1. Rinse thoroughly, and then soak the cannellini beans overnight in lukewarm water to soften them.

2. In a heavy-based saucepan, heat the olive oil, then sauté the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and chorizo sausage until soft over a medium heat.

3. Deglaze the pan with the white wine for a minute, and then add the tomatoes and the beans. Bring to the boil for 2-3 minutes and stir to combine well. NB: in some instances, you may have to add either water or vegetable stock to the mixture to ensure there is enough liquid for the beans to cook thoroughly. This may take up to 1 hour or until the beans are smooth and creamy in texture, but not mashed.

4. Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer, and then add all the herbs and smoked paprika to the mixture.

5. Taste the mixture before you season with the salt and pepper, as the chorizo can become quite salty during the cooking process, and you may in fact not need any salt at all. If your tastebuds and accustomed to a little more heat, you may use chopped chillies instead of pepper.

6. Bring to the simmer to incorporate all the ingredients. At this point, the beans should be smooth, creamy, and thus cooked through.

7. Serve hot in soup bowls and enjoy with a loaf of crusty ciabatta bread and your favourite glass of red. ¡Buen provecho!

To read an article on the history of chorizo, please visit our website blog here.