Skip’s Sopa de Chorizo and Papas

This soup eats like a meal! Wasn’t that in a Campbell’s commercial? Anyway…it’s hearty and filling and easy to make.

Depending on the chorizo you use (heat levels vary), it is relatively mild tasting, not too spicy. I get mine at Porter Road online. I find it to be just the right level or spices and heat, plus, it crumbled well. I use diced green chiles, but if you want to notch it up, use a small can of dice jalapenos instead…that will really crank up the heat. You don’t have to blend the first stage of the soup, I just think it makes for a smoother result.

Ingredients:

• 2 chorizos (about 8 ounces total), casings removed, crumbled
• 2 thick slices of bacon, 1/4 inch chop
• 1 medium leek, white part only, 1/2 inch chop
• 2 teaspoons of garlic, thin sliced
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 3 cups of low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/2 cup of dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon of ancho chile powder
• One – 14 1/2 ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 1 small (4 ounce) can of diced green chiles
• 2 cups of russett potatoes (about 1 large potato), cut into quarters, 1/4 inch slice, leave skin on
• 1/2 cup Bloody Mary mix (I use Mr. and Mrs. T’s)
• 1 cup of half and half
• Crema or sour cream

Directions:

• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, cook bacon and crumbled chorizo until the chorizo is lightly browned. Remove from the pan, set aside. Leave about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan, add 1 tablespoon of canola oil. Reduce heat to medium, add the chopped leeks and the onions and cook for about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper to taste. Salt may not be necessary as the chorizo and bacon are pretty salty themselves. Add the sliced garlic for 30 seconds stirring. Add the diced tomatoes, the stock, and the sherry and bring to a simmer. Add the cumin and the chile powder. Lower the heat, cover, and cook for 25 minutes.
• Using an immersion blender, process the soup until slightly smooth but not puréed, leaving a few chunks of vegetables. Add the Bloody Mary mix, the diced green chiles, the cooked chorizo and bacon, and the sliced potatoes and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender but not mushy. Taste. Season with salt and pepper if neccessary. Add the half and half and heat through.
• Serve with a small dollop of crema or sour cream in each bowl and warm tortillas on the side.