Chicken Soup with Chorizo, Potatoes, and Peas
A classic Mediterranean pairing-potatoes and chorizo-are combined here with chicken and peas to make a full-flavored, hearty bowl that can be served as a meal in itself, or as a prelude to a dinner of simply grilled or roasted fish. Chorizo, one of our favorite ingredients, should be good and garlicky- well seasoned, in other words. Look for it in butcher shops and larger supermarkets in the pork or sausage section of the meat department.
If you are making this in advance, be sure to add the roughly cut parsley right before serving so that you get the most out of its vibrant color and fresh flavor. When it comes to adding fresh herbs, Mangia's rule of thumb is the rougher the cut, the more the herb contributes.
Ingredients
- Six cups of chicken broth
- One whole chicken breast skinned and boned, from one and one-half to two pounds
- One medium red onion
- Two garlic cloves
- Three-quarters cup flat-leaf parsley sprigs
- Four medium red potatoes
- Three chorizo three to four ounces each
- One tablespoon plus one teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- One tablespoon salt
- One teaspoon of dried thyme
- One teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- One-half teaspoon ground cumin
- One cup of frozen peas
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil, add the chicken breast, and bring the broth to a boil again. Cover the pan, turn off the heat, and let stand until ready to use.
- Peel and slice the potatoes into ¼ -inch-thick slices; place them in a bowl with water to cover and reserve. Trim, peel, and finely dice the onion. Peel, trim, and slice the garlic. Stem, then chop the parsley and reserve. Peel the casings off the chorizo and crumble the meat.
- In a large heavy pot, sauté the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté, taking care not to let it brown.
- Add the chorizo and sauté, stirring, until cooked, about 5 minutes. The chorizo will release some fat at this point; remove some of it by tilting the pot and skimming it off with a spoon. Discard the fat.
- Remove the chicken breast from the chicken broth, and set aside.
- Add the broth to the chorizo mixture, and then add the salt, thyme, pepper, and cumin. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and add them to the soup. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- With a fork and a knife, slice the chicken breast, removing any cartilage. Add the chicken and peas to the soup and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat, correct the seasonings, and. stir in the chopped parsley. Serve immediately.