Recipe for Chorizo, potato and cabbage soup

Chorizo, potato and cabbage soup was just what was needed for a cold and windy day in June. You can't beat a hearty soup! This is similar to a Portuguese soup although I cooked the cabbage separately and added it to the soup at the end of cooking.
What surprised me was how many calories there is in chorizo. I chose Sarta Iberico, which was a little more expensive than other chorizo sausages. It's good to try something different. I was very surprised to find it was only 278 calories per 100g, compared to other chorizos as high as 450 calories per 100g. That's a BIG difference! Do check before buying as there is quite a wide range of chorizos out there. You may want a fattier sausage depending on what you are cooking.
The Sarta chorizo was obviously lower in fat content, but I was going to use it in a soup. The flavour was delicate and infused the dish with a nice hint of spice. I suspect the leftovers will taste even better tomorrow as the flavours continue to develop.  We might have to fight over who eats the last portion!
All in all for a dish that took around 15 minutes prep and 20 minutes cooking, it was a pretty impressive plateful and very filling. The ingredients I used created three good sized bowls of soup at around 250 calories per portion.
With very few ingredients you'll probably find you have most. Here's how we made ours:

CHORIZO, POTATO & CABBAGE SOUP

Makes 3 good portions

Ingredients

100g chorizo, cubed

400g Maris Piper or similar (slightly waxy potato) cut into small chunks

Spring greens or your favourite cabbage

2 large onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic

2 bay leaves

salt/pepper 

1.5 ltrs vegetable stock

Optional - chilli flakes

Smoked paprika

Olive oil

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Heat a frying pan and add the cubed chorizo.

Gently fry until the oil begins to release. Add the chopped onion to the pan and fry for 5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and stir for 2 minutes.

Add the chunks of potato and let them soak up the flavours in the pan for 5 minutes. 

Transfer everything to a large saucepan. 

Cover with the boiling stock, add salt and pepper.

Add bay leaves. 

If you want extra heat add a sprinkle (or two) of chilli flakes. 

Simmer for around 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Remove about a quarter of the potatoes and mash roughly with a fork then return them to the pan. 

Cook the spring greens for 5 minutes (or until they are softened) in a separate pan, chop and add to the soup. 

Mix the smoked paprika with the olive oil and swirl into the soup when its ready. 

Serve with a chunk of crusty bread.

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