chorizo, chickpea and kale sauté

I like this recipe because it’s quick, it’s satisfying, it’s flavorful, and it’s veggie-heavy.

You start by warming up some thinly sliced chorizo (or cook, if using raw; see note below). Then you sauté onions and peppers in the oils released from the highly seasoned meat. Tossed with kale and chickpeas, and finished with crumbled goat cheese and a dash of hot sauce, this quick dinner has texture, flavor, protein, and veg.

Serve it on its own, or complete the meal with some pita and hummus (the pita bread makes a nice “scoop” for the stir fry).

chorizo, chickpea & kale sauté

serves 4-6

Ingredients:

olive oil
16 oz chorizo or chouriço (see note)
12 oz kale, washed, de-stemmed and roughly chopped (from about 2 bunches)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), sliced
2 15-oz. cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste
accompaniments: goat cheese, hot sauce, pita bread, hummus

Directions:

In a large skillet or dutch oven set over medium high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil. If using smoked or cured chorizo/chouriço (Spanish or Portuguese style), slice into thin coins, add to the warm oil, and heat until lightly browned, about five minutes. If using fresh or Mexican-style chorizo, remove any casing, add to the warmed oil, and stir, breaking up the meat until fully cooked, about 5-10 minutes. (You can tell fresh chorizo is cooked through when it separates and is almost crumbly.)
Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat and let the fat drain on a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving about 2 tablespoon of fat in the pan. Return the skillet to medium heat, add in the onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add cumin and stir for 1 minute. Add chickpeas and chorizo and cook for 1 minute more. Add kale and cook, stirring, until wilted and heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon into a dish, top with crumbled goat cheese and a dash of hot sauce, and serve with pita and hummus on the side. Enjoy!

notes

chorizo or chouriço: I’ve made this recipe many times, substituting at different times at least four varieties of chorizo sausage. The Spanish-style chorizo and the Portuguese chouriço are very similar—both are cured and smoked, and both get their vibrant coloring from paprika. Mexican-style fresh chorizo also works well in this recipe (pictured). It crumbles when cooked out of its casing, and its flavor is decidedly different—the vibrant red coloring in Mexican chorizo typically comes from chili peppers instead of paprika and it is often spicier. I’ve also found bulk fresh chorizo at the butcher counter at the grocery store which is darker in color and mellower in flavor than Mexico chorizo…but still works well in this recipe. So feel free to swap in any variety of chorizo yourself!