Chicken, Chorizo & Butter Bean Soup

I almost wonder if I can get away with calling this recipe a soup. It’s somewhere between a soup and a stew - somewhere very delicious. 

Truly, the best time to make this recipe is following a roast chicken. Once the table has been cleared, the last scraps of meat can be shredded from the bone; this can be reserved and used in place of the chicken thighs. The carcass can then be popped into a pot and left to blip away, perhaps while you stomp off some of the calories from lunch with a brisk walk crunching leaves underfoot. This recipe makes wonderful leftover lunch fodder, preparing you for the week ahead. 

If you haven’t managed to roast a whole bird, I have shared how best to make this hearty meal from scratch, nonetheless. 

Ingredients

3 – 4 organic or free range chicken thighs

A drizzle of organic rapeseed olive oil

185g cooking chorizo, sliced or cubed

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked & chopped

2 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked & chopped

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 litre chicken stock, warmed

200g butter beans, drained

A knob of grass fed butter

1 tablespoon stoneground plain flour

100ml double cream

Sea salt flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 190C (375F), Gas Mark 5. 

Season the chicken thighs generously with salt salt and place them into the oven to roast for 25 minutes. Once golden, remove the thighs from the oven and set to one side to cool. Once cooled roughly chop the chicken, skin and all. 

Set a cast iron pan over a medium – high heat and drizzle in a little oil.Once sizzling, add in the chorizo and stir for a few minutes until it has crisped and caramelised. 

Turn the heat down and then add the onions, garlic, herbs and a pinch of salt. Once the onions have softened and the herbs have become fragrant, add the paprika and allow it to toast for a minute. 

Add the chicken thigh meat, along with half the stock and bring the pan to the boil.Then turn the heat down to a simmer and leave it to bubble away for around 15 minutes. 

Make a roux by adding the flour and butter into a small bowl and combining until a smooth paste has formed. Add the roux to the pan, stir in the remainingstock and then leave it to simmer for a further 10 minutes.

Tip the butter beans into the pan and simmer for around 5 – 6 minutes, then add the double cream and adjust any seasoning. 

Serve in warmed bowls with a generous scattering of black pepper over the top and some buttered, crusty bread on the side.