Caldo Gallego (White Bean Soup)

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 1/2  cups  dried navy beans
• 1/4  pound  Spanish chorizo
• 1  (8-ounce) package cubed smoked ham (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3  tablespoons  olive oil
• 2  cups  chopped onion
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 3  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
• 6  cups  water
• 6  packets ham-flavored concentrate*
• 1  cup  white wine
• 2  cups  chopped Roma tomatoes
• 2  cups  peeled and cubed Yukon gold potatoes (about 3/4 pound)
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  cup  chopped fresh spinach

Preparation

Sort and wash beans. Place in a large Dutch oven with water to cover 2 inches above beans; cover and let soak 8 hours. Drain, discarding water.

Remove casings from chorizo, and slice diagonally. Sauté chorizo and ham in olive oil 5 minutes or until meats begin to brown. Add onion, and sauté 10 minutes; add garlic, and sauté 30 seconds.

Stir in flour. Gradually add water, whisking constantly until sauce is smooth. Stir in beans, ham concentrate, and next 6 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 1/2 hours or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in spinach, and remove from heat. Spoon soup into individual bowls.

*For testing purposes, we used Goya ham concentrate.