Easy Portuguese Bean Soup
Easy Portuguese Bean Soup is a hearty and comforting traditional-style meal.It combines tender kidney beans with potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and tomatoes.Smoky Portuguese sausage adds a delicious savoury flavour.Garlic, onion, paprika, and bay leaves create a fragrant broth.The beans help naturally thicken the soup for a satisfying texture.Serve hot with crusty bread for a delicious Portuguese-inspired meal.
Ingredients
- 2 cans (15 oz each) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 oz (225 g) Portuguese chouriço sausage, sliced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 cups chopped green cabbage
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup water, if needed
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the kidney beans thoroughly. Chop the onion, mince the garlic, peel and dice the potatoes, slice the carrots, and chop the cabbage.Cut the Portuguese chouriço into thin rounds so that it cooks evenly and releases its smoky flavour into the soup.
- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the sliced chouriço and cook for approximately 3–4 minutes until lightly browned.Remove a few sausage slices for garnish if desired. Leave the remaining sausage in the pot.
- Add the chopped onion to the pot and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened.Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the carrots, potatoes, chopped tomatoes, and tomato paste. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.Cook for approximately 3 minutes to allow the vegetables to absorb the delicious flavours from the sausage and seasonings.
- Pour in the chicken broth and add the paprika, bay leaf, black pepper, and a little salt.Stir everything together and bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot partially.Allow the soup to simmer for approximately 15–20 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots become tender.
- Add the drained kidney beans to the soup and stir gently.For a thicker consistency, remove approximately half a cup of beans, mash them with a fork, and return them to the pot. This creates a naturally creamy broth.
- Stir in the chopped cabbage and continue cooking for another 5–8 minutes until it becomes tender.Taste the soup and adjust the salt and black pepper as needed.
- Stir in the chopped cabbage and continue cooking for another 5–8 minutes until it becomes tender.Taste the soup and adjust the salt and black pepper as needed.
- Ladle the hot Portuguese Bean Soup into serving bowls. Garnish with extra parsley and a few slices of browned chouriço.
Notes
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Beans: Canned kidney beans make this recipe quick and convenient.
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Sausage: Portuguese chouriço provides a distinctive smoky and savoury flavour.
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Vegetables: Cut the vegetables into similar-sized pieces for even cooking.
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Broth: Chicken broth creates a rich flavour, while vegetable broth works for a vegetarian version.
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Thickness: Mash some of the beans to create a naturally thick soup.
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Seasoning: Add salt carefully because Portuguese sausage and broth may already contain sodium.
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Fresh herbs: Add parsley towards the end to preserve its fresh flavour.
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