One of the traditional recipes for the cold season, which will help diners warm-up, is white beans with chorizo, also called alubias. It is a complete, comforting, and, above all, easy-to-prepare legume dish.

Tips for making white beans and chorizo

Before getting down to work, remember that good white beans with chorizo are left to soak for a reasonable period. You can put them in a bowl with plenty of water the morning you prepare the recipe; however, it is best to soak them the night before.

This recipe can be made even easier if you prepare it in a food processor or pressure cooker, as these devices save you a lot of time. If you are in a hurry, you can even use canned beans. However, if you want a more traditional, homemade recipe, go for the conventional pot method, for which you will need to soak the beans overnight.

The next day, put the beans on low heat and let them cook on their own.

White beans with chorizo recipe

Ingredients

• 400 grams of white beans.
• Two cloves of garlic.
• One onion.
• Three carrots.
• One green pepper.
• One celery.
• 200 grams of chorizo sausage.
• 10 grams of paprika from La Vera.
• 30 milliliters of extra virgin olive oil.
• Two bay leaves.
• Coarse salt.
• Water.

Preparation

• The first thing to do is to select the beans. Inside the packet you buy, you may find broken beans, so the best thing to do is discard them one by one. It's a laborious job, but it will keep you entertained for a while. This should be done the night before cooking.
• When you have selected the beans, please place them in a large pot or bowl with plenty of water.
• Leave the beans to soak overnight so that they are well hydrated.
• Before getting to work, remember that the white beans and chorizo stew will take two hours, so time it very well.
• Drain the water from the beans and rinse them well under cold water.
• Change the water a couple of times before cooking the beans.
• The water level for cooking should cover the beans completely.
• Place the pan over medium heat.
• During the cooking process and when they come to a boil, the beans will release impurities and foam, so it is best to clean them. To do this, remove the beans from the heat and rinse them under the tap. For this process, you can use a colander and return the beans to the pot with enough water.
• When you return the beans to the pot, add the well-washed and chopped vegetables.
• Add the chorizo, extra virgin olive oil, paprika, and two bay leaves.
• Return to the heat.
• Add half a glass of cold water when the beans boil to stop the cooking.
• This step should be repeated a couple of times to ensure that the skins of the beans do not come off.
• After this process, cover the pot and leave the beans to cook on low heat for one and a half to two hours. The cooking time varies depending on the beans, so you must keep an eye on them and keep tasting them until they are soft.
• When the beans are soft, remove the vegetables and process them in a food processor with a little of the cooking stock. You should be left with a puree; if you don't have a food processor, mash the vegetables with a fork.
• Return the puree to the pot and cook for a few minutes.
• Add the salt. Be careful, as pulses should never be made by adding salt because they can become burdensome.
• It is time to remove the beans from the heat and serve them immediately to the guests.

As we have already mentioned, white beans with chorizo can also be prepared in a food processor or a pressure cooker; this saves you time and is part of the procedure.  For example, if you make them in a pressure cooker, you will not have to cut the boiling of the beans with cold water; in addition, the cooking time will be only half an hour from the moment the steam starts to come out of the valve of the pot; the valve should be in position two.

Canned white beans are a quick and easy option

If you are in a hurry and want to serve your guests a warm and comforting dish, then you can opt for canned white beans. You will find many brands in the supermarket. You'll find many different brands in the supermarket, so how do you make this recipe with cooked beans?

You will use the same ingredients mentioned above but cook the vegetables separately in a pot with enough water. The cooking process should take at most half an hour. When the vegetables are soft, place them in a saucepan with the beans and heat them. Bear in mind that canned beans have a limited stock, so there is nothing like adding a glass of water to prevent the dish from drying.

Add the chorizo, paprika, oil, and bay leaf to the mixture. When the beans are boiling, remove the vegetables and mash them to a puree, then return them to the pan and stir for a few minutes.

Now it is time to adjust the salt, as canned white beans usually have a pinch of salt in them; be careful not to overdo it and make the stew too salty! After a few minutes of the heat, you can serve your guests.