Almost like a hearty, slightly spicy stew, this butter bean soup with chorizo is filling and super flavorful.
Topping it all off with feta and watercress might sound a bit odd, but Please Try it. It just works.
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The tenderly creamy butter beans (lima beans if you’re in the US) absorb the flavors of chorizo and tomato to make a hearty and delicious soup.
Taking 20 minutes from start to finish, you could easily serve this with some salad and maybe some crusty bread for a quick dinner after work.
📋 What do we need?
📺 Check out how to do it
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
👩🍳PRO TIP For a spicier version, add a squirt of hot sauce (I like Frank’s paprika sauce).
You can make this soup ahead of time and it freezes really well too. I have included instructions on how to do this at the end of the recipe card.
🍽️ What to serve with it
I like to make a double or triple batch of this and then freeze it in portions.
It’s the perfect warming meal when we’re taking a chilly spring walk on the beach. I fill up a bottle of it, then I take a pot of feta with me. The watercress is left out – a cold walk on the beach and lettuce definitely don’t go together!
🍲 More warming soup recipes
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Butterbean Chorizo Soup
Butterbean Chorizo Feta Soup – so delicious and ready in 20 minutes!
INSTRUCTIONS
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Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
1 tsp oil
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Add the onions and chorizo and sauté 5-6 minutes until the onions begin to turn translucent and the chorizo is lightly browned and beginning to release its oils
1 onion, 85g chorizo
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Add canned tomatoes, broth, tomato puree, sugar, thyme, salt and pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes.
400 g can of chopped tomatoes in juice, 300 ml (1 ¼ cup) chicken broth, 1 tablespoon tomato puree (paste from the USA), 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp thyme, pinch of salt and pepper
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Add the butter beans, stir and cook until warmed through, 2 minutes.
400 g (14 oz) can butter beans (lima beans)
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Ladle into two bowls and garnish with crumbled feta and watercress.
45 g feta cheese, Handful of fresh watercress
✎ Notes
Can I advance it?
Yes, you can make the soup ahead of time, but don’t add the feta and watercress toppings until you come to serve it.
- Prepare the soup, cool, cover and refrigerate for 2-3 days. Then heat them in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until piping hot (about 5 minutes).
- Add a splash of water or broth to fluff it up as you reheat if you think you need to.
can i freeze it
- Yes, make the soup (but do not add the watercress and feta toppings – leave those out until the soup is ready to serve), then allow to cool, transfer to a suitable covered container and freeze.
I like to freeze mine in portions. - Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat according to the prep instructions above.
ingredient swap
- Swap watercress for pea sprouts or spinach
- Add more vegetables. Peas, corn, cooked potato chunks, or cooked butternut squash work well.
- Do it sharp with a drizzle of pepperoni/chilli sauce.
- Do it creamy with a dash of double (heavy) cream or a tablespoon of crème fraîche. I like to make it creamy AND spicy sometimes!
- Swap feta for crumbled chunks of cheddar, Lancashire cheese or a sprinkling of parmesan.
How to scale this recipe
Double or triple the recipe and stick to the same ingredient ratios. With the prep time and cooking time, it takes a total of 10 minutes longer:
- Add 2-3 minutes extra sauté time for the onions and chorizo.
- Add 3 minutes more cooking time if you add the canned tomatoes.
- Add 2 minutes longer cooking time after adding the butter beans.
Nutritional information is approximately per serving (this recipe serves 2)
Nourishment
Calories: 508kcalCarbohydrates: 48GProtein: 26GFat: 24GSaturated Fatty Acids: 9GCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 2693mgPotassium: 1100mgFiber: 12GSugar: 11GVitamin A: 370ieVitamin C: 23.5mgCalcium: 235mgIron: 6.6mg
This post was first published in May 2015. Update March 2023 with new photos, video, a small recipe adjustment and some housekeeping.
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