Spanish Bean Soup (Potaje de Garbanzos)

Name: Spanish Bean Soup (Potaje de Garbanzos)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 140 min
Total time: 155 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 1 pound dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas); 8 ounces good-quality bacon, chopped; 8 ounces beef stew bones; 8 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced; 1 small onion, chopped; 2-3 cloves garlic, minced; 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed; 10 cups water; Salt and black pepper to taste

Recipe GLPRdfc8722387eed9

Spanish

Soup

155 min

459 cal

Servings: 8

Stovetop

SNAP eligible

A robust and warming Spanish bean soup made with dried chickpeas simmered with bacon, beef bones, and chorizo. This traditional potaje is enriched with potatoes, onion, and garlic, creating a deeply satisfying one-pot meal that's hearty enough for any cold evening.

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Ingredients

1 pound dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

8 ounces good-quality bacon, chopped

8 ounces beef stew bones

8 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced

1 small onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

10 cups water

Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Rinse the dried garbanzo beans thoroughly and place them in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat, cover, and let soak for 1 hour.
Drain the soaked beans and return them to the pot. Add the beef stew bones and 10 cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
While the beans simmer, place the chopped bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel to drain.
In the same skillet with the bacon fat, add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced chorizo and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until the chorizo releases its oils.
Add the sautéed onion, garlic, and chorizo mixture (along with any fat in the skillet) to the pot with the beans and beef bones. Stir well to combine.
Add the peeled and cubed potatoes to the pot. Return to a gentle simmer and cook, partially covered, until the beans are tender and the potatoes are cooked through, approximately 30-40 minutes more.
Stir in the reserved crispy bacon. Remove the beef stew bones (they can be discarded or reserved for stock). Season the soup generously with salt and black pepper to taste.
Serve the soup hot in large bowls, ensuring each serving contains a generous portion of beans, potatoes, chorizo, and broth.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4

This is a solid weeknight-to-weekend soup that checks most boxes for a Charlotte kitchen. Garbanzos, bacon, potatoes, and onions are standard pantry and produce at every major chain; Spanish chorizo is available at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, and even ALDI, so no special trip is needed. The real cost driver is beef bones—a $4–6 addition depending on cut—but they're stocked at all chains and yield genuine flavor, landing the final cost around $1.25–1.50 per serving. The stated 155 minutes is honest for dried beans and a long braise, though soaking beans overnight saves 45 minutes. Reheats beautifully and improves the next day. The only friction: if you start with dried garbanzos, plan ahead; canned beans (drained) cut active time by half and cost nearly the same per serving, making it genuinely weeknight-friendly. A warm, economical pot-of-soup winner.