Easy Chorizo Soup with Cabbage Chickpeas and Bacon

Chorizo Soup with Chickpeas and Cabbage. Mexican chorizo adds a delightful topping to this shredded cabbage chickpea soup. In a tangy tomato broth, this soup is hearty and filling and perfect for when you need to warm up after a blustery cold day.

Chorizo Soup

I can’t even begin to tell you how many days during the Fall and Winter season, that soup is our choice for dinner. Actually we subscribe to the notion that you can eat soup year round.

And for so many reasons. Most soup recipes come together easily, that is after the chopping has been completed. They’re warm, they’re comforting and they’re full of flavor.

And a very economical meal. With just the two of us, we have leftovers for a couple of days. And soup always tastes better the the next day. And soup freezes well, leftovers can be tucked away in the freezer for a quick future meal.

And in all their vegetable-y brothy-ness, usually a healthy option for dinner.

Take for instance, this Sopa Caldosa, this Mexican chorizo recipe with cabbage is low carb and high in flavor. And did I mention, a cabbage soup with bacon?

Filled with lots of shredded cabbage and chickpeas for protein, the higher fat chorizo is sprinkled on top of the soup. Meaning you get to choose the destiny of those fat calories. As you can tell, I was very liberal with chorizo.

Inspiration for Sopa Caldosa, Easy Cabbage Soup

I’m one to gain inspiration from a published recipe and then rip it apart and make it my own. This has especially been fun for me since I’ve attended Culinary School. And thanks to my training, I can always find improvements for about any recipe. That improvement might be a switch in ingredients, or a streamline of a process.

This chorizo soup recipe first appeared on my blog in 2009. I’ve recently updated photos, added a couple of ingredients, and improved the technique to make it shine even brighter. Example; caramelizing the sliced cabbage rather than just throwing it into the broth to cook as the older method instructed. This definitely adds depth in the flavor.

With that said, here are the comments I typed into the notes section of my computer recipe database program some 20 years ago.

• That I’ve had this recipe since 1999
• “Outstanding”
• This is a popular soup from the Oaxaca Region of Mexico
• It features a coarsely ground sausage called chorizo (prounced chor–EE-zoh)
• Quick – delicious and somewhat healthy little soup.

#4 indicates to me that “chor-EE-zoh” must have been brand new on my radar in 1999 and that I didn’t want to pronounce it wrong when I approached the meat counter. 

Whats the difference between Mexican and Spanish Chorizo?

Whenever I see a recipe that calls for Chorizo, I always check for “what kind”. Mexican or Spanish. Mexican Chorizo is sold in a package like ground beef and must be cooked before used. It’s highly seasoned with Mexican seasonings. We absolutely love Mexican Chorizo in our house.

When you purchase Spanish Chorizo, it’s a product that’s dried and cured. It’s ready to eat. It can be sweet and it can be spicy. It’s seasoned with smoked paprika which gives it a vibrant color and beautiful flavor.

I’ve made this soup many times, alternating using both sausages. Both giving us a beautifully seasoned soup, with a slight variation in flavor.

Recipe for Mexican Chorizo Soup with Cabbage and Chickpeas

I hope you give this ultra-delicious chorizo soup recipe a try. It’s truly a bowl of goodness to warm your soul. And if you want, a creamy bowl of goodness. Just top the soup with a dollop of sour cream for a real treat.

If you do try this soup, please come back and give the recipe a star rating and leave a comment about your experience with the recipe. And if you have a favorite chorizo soup, or a Mexican cabbage soup recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

More Mexican Soup Recipes

• Instant Pot Mexican Chicken Soup Recipe
• Chicken Fajita Soup
• Easy Chipotle Chicken Soup
• Sopa Ranchero, Ranch Style Chicken Soup

And if you’re soup fans like us, you won’t want to miss my soup category. You’ll find the most popular soup recipe on my site for Anthony Bourdain’s New Mexico Chili.

5 from 2 votes

Print

Chorizo Soup with Cabbage and Chickpeas

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

 

Chorizo Soup with Chickpeas and Cabbage. Mexican chorizo adds a delightful topping to this shredded cabbage chickpea soup. In a tangy tomato broth, this soup is hearty and filling and perfect for when you need to warm up after a blustery cold day.

Course: Main Course Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: cabbage, chickpeas, chorizo

Servings: 8

Calories: 318 kcal

Author: Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch)

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 8 cups green cabbage thin sliced, about 1 pound
• 1 cup onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 15 1/2 ounce chickpeas canned, drained
• 14 1/2 ounce whole tomatoes canned, undrained and chopped
• 1 pound Chorizo Spanish or Mexican, cooked
• 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Instructions

1. If using Mexican chroizo, brown sausage and set aside. If using Spanish chorizo, crumble the chorizo and set aside.

2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. When the pot has heated up, add the bacon pieces and cook until almost crisp.

3. Add the chopped onion and cook until just becoming tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant.

4. Add cabbage sauté 10 minutes, stirring regularly. When the cabbage is just starting to brown on the edges, add chicken broth, chickpeas, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. 

5. Stir in the vinegar.

6. Ladle soup into bowls; top with Mexican Chorizo and chopped cilantro.

7. To make this soup creamy, don't hesitate to add a big dollop of sour cream.

Nutrition Facts

Chorizo Soup with Cabbage and Chickpeas

Amount Per Serving

Calories 318 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 39mg13%

Sodium 1273mg55%

Potassium 567mg16%

Carbohydrates 24g8%

Fiber 7g29%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 17g34%

Vitamin A 840IU17%

Vitamin C 47mg57%

Calcium 76mg8%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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