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.
This recipe was first published in September 2011 and updated October 2020.
Soup, It’s Whats For Dinner
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. Soup freezes well, and leftovers can be tucked away for a quick future meal.
And in all their vegetable-y brothy-ness, usually a healthy option for dinner.
About This Recipe, Why It Works
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 vitamin rich shredded cabbage and chickpeas for protein, the higher fat chorizo is sprinkled on top of the soup. Meaning you get to choose the density of those fat calories.
As you can tell in the photo, I was very liberal with chorizo. Let’s take a look.
Ingredients For This Recipe
Mise en place. Always gather ingredients before starting any recipe. It will save you time and organize your mind.
- Mexican Chorizo, Whenever I see a recipe that calls for Chorizo, I always check “what kind”. This recipe calls for Mexican Chorizo rather than Spanish Chorizo. Mexican chorizo is a mixture of chopped pork meat and Mexican spices. I prefer to buy bulk chorizo packaged like hamburger, rather than the product that comes in a tube.
- Cabbage, plain green cabbage that’s simply chopped to form thin slices.
- Chicken Broth, if you make your own chicken broth, even better. But canned chicken broth works just fine for this recipe.
- Chopped Tomatoes, Soup season isn’t the time to purchase those sad flavorless hot-house tomatoes at the market. Purchase a good brand of chopped canned tomatoes. Canned tomatoes are bright and flavorful because they were canned at the height of the tomato season.
- Tomato Paste, Such an important ingredient for the richness of this soup. A pantry MVP, it’s concentrated, and add a rich flavor layer to this soup. It also adds that deep color to the broth.
- Bacon and Onions, Are a match made in heaven. And is there any better aroma when they’re cooking together? They are a big part of what makes this soup so delicious. Sweet onions are used here, and thick sliced bacon.
- Chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) A rich source of vitamins and minerals, they also add a slightly crunchy texture and nutty flavor to this soup.
- Vinegar, If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times. Vinegar is as important to many dishes as is salt and pepper. It brightens the flavor of any tomato based recipe. This recipe calls for cider vinegar.
How To Make Chorizo Soup
Step 1 Step 2
- Start by frying chopped thick-cut bacon in a Dutch oven. When the bacon is half cooked, add the onions. Cook until onions are tender and bacon is crisp. Add the chopped garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant.
- Add the sliced cabbage and cook, stirring frequently, until cabbage starts to brown and is becoming a bit caramelized. If the pan seems dry, add a glug of olive oil.
Step 3 Step 4
- Add the chicken broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, and tomato paste.
- Stir well and let the soup simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes.
- In the meantime brown the chorizo, drain the grease and set aside.
- To serve, ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with cooked chorizo and garnish with cilantro if you’d like. Enjoy!
FAQ’s And Tips
Mexican Chorizo is sold in a package like ground beef and must be cooked before used. It’s highly seasoned with Mexican seasonings. 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.
There is no difference between chickpeas and garbanzo beans. We’ve simply ended up with two names for the same legume because Garbanzo is the Spanish term and Chickpeas is the common English term.
A good substitute for chickpeas is Great Northern Beans. Just drain and rinse before adding to the soup.
Sopa Caldosa, Easy Cabbage Soup
I’ve had this soup recipe since 1999, according to my database. Its origin is unknown. I’ve made changes to it over the years, improving, making it easier and adding subtle flavor touches.
My notes indicate it’s a popular soup from the Oaxaca Region of Mexico.
It’s quick, it’s outstanding in flavor, somewhat healthy and it’s one of our favorite soup recipes.
My notes also indicate “It features a coarsely ground sausage called chorizo (prounced chor–EE-zoh)” which 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.
Recipe for Mexican Chorizo Soup with Cabbage and Chickpeas
If you’re looking for Mexican Chorizo Recipes, 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 Chorizo Recipes
- Chorizo Breakfast Tacos with Potatoes and Eggs
- Mexican Deviled Eggs with Chorizo
- Chorizo Chile Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Easy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo
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.
Chorizo Soup with Cabbage and Chickpeas
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 slices bacon thick cut, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 8 cups green cabbage thin sliced, about 1 pound
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 15 1/2 ounce chickpeas canned, drained
- 14 1/2 ounce tomatoes canned, undrained and chopped
- 1 pound Chorizo Mexican, cooked and crumbled
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- In a fry pan, cook the Mexican chroizo until browned. Drain grease and set aside.
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. When the pot has heated up, add the bacon pieces and cook until almost crisp.
- Add the chopped onion and cook until just becoming tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add cabbage sauté 10 minutes, stirring regularly until the cabbage is starting to brown, or caramelizing. If the pan seems dry, add a glug of olive oil.
- Add chicken broth, chickpeas, tomato paste and tomatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
- Stir in the vinegar.
- Ladle soup into bowls; top with Mexican Chorizo and chopped cilantro.
- To make this soup creamy, don't hesitate to add a big dollop of sour cream.
Lea Ann, it’s time to make this soup! I love everything in it, so it can’t miss.
I never would have thought of using chickpeas in this soup, but I am guessing this could quickly become well loved in our home. Such a great recipe Lea Ann!
Now this is how I can get the husband to eat cabbage. He loves anything with chorizo and bacon. A fabulous dish Lea Ann! Thanks for sharing.!
This recipe is excellent! So simple but so tasty!! It’s become a regular in my rotation.
Hi Karen:
Thanks so much for taking the time to write a note and review about that soup. And so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Your words felt like a warm hug this morning.
It’s most certainly a regular in our meal plans.
Wasn’t sure when to add the vinegar – I did it towards the end. I used turkey chorizo from my CSA and added a bit of chipotle chili powder, Mexican oregano, and cumin for a bit extra. This was delicious and I’ll surely be adding it to my rotation. 🙂
Hi Kat and thanks so much for your note.
My apologies about the vinegar instruction. I always add vinegar at the end, just as you would salt or pepper, to adjust the balance of the recipe. I’ll go back in and clarify that in the recipe.
I’m so glad you liked that soup! Thanks for letting me know. It’s 10 degrees here in Colorado and we have a foot of new snow on the ground. Definitely soup season here.
SO many of my favorite ingredients in every spoonful!! The flavors sound amazing—perfect meal on a chilly day!
You’re the best Liz. Thanks for stopping in and the comment.
I love chorizo in soup! Haven’t combined it with cabbage, though — gotta give that a try. Thanks!