Spicy White Bean Soup

This is comfort food at it's best. You can have it a spicy as you like either by using the spicy chorizo or by using more chilli powder.This will keep you warm on a cold day!

Serves

Ingredients
200g Chorizo sausage, halved length ways and sliced
1 Large onion, peeled and chopped
225g Celery, chopped
300g Carrot, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Chilli powder(optional)
½ tsp Ground cumin
1 x 400g Tin chopped tomatoes
750ml Vegetable stock
Sea salt and freshly & ground black pepper
2 x 400g Tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (I use cans of mixed beans)
Crusty bread, to serve

Method
Fry the chorizo in a large pan until it is golden and has released its lovely spicy oil.

Remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the chopped onion, celery and carrot to the oil in the pan and fry gently for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, chilli powder and cumin and fry for a further minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and stock and season with a little salt and black pepper.

Stir well, return the chorizo to the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Finally add in the drained beans and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread.  This soup is even better made ahead as the flavour improves the next day.