Chunky Vegetable Soup with Chorizo and Manchego Cheese

I've taken my favourite minestrone recipe and tweaked it to give it a Spanish feel, using chorizo and rice rather than pancetta and pasta.  I think it is really tasty and full of vibrant colours.

Ingredients

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 stick of celery, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1.2 litres of vegetable stock

1 teasp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1x 680g jar of passata, (I use La Fiammante)

1 bay leaf

1 piece of manchego cheese rind

1 jar of fabada or butter beans, drained and rinsed

1 mug of cooked rice

150g peas

1 courgette, diced

1 small red pepper, diced

1 small yellow pepper, diced

A good grating of nutmeg

250g cooked chorizo, sliced and briefly fried in a dry pan

Freshly grated manchego cheese, to garnish

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan on a medium heat.  Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and fry gently until softened, about 5 minutes.  Next add the rosemary and cook for a minute.

In with the stock next, with the tomato, bay leaf, and the manchego rind and cook for about another 5 minutes.  Season to taste, add the beans and simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes.

Add the remaining vegetables and cook until just tender. For the last minute of cooking add the cooked rice. Last but not least, add a good grating of nutmeg, stir it into the soup and then check seasonings again.  Serve garnished with the chopped celery leaves and a generous sprinkling of cheese.  Vegetarians look away, as I will add the crispy chorizo pieces and any of their oil at the end.  Serve with chunks of artisan bread.