Caldo Gallego – Galician Stew or Soup

Traditional Winter Warming Spanish Stew

Feb 5, 2009 Rachel L. Webb

A traditional Spanish stew for those cold and wet winter nights, make enough for two days and it's even better the second time around.

For a traditional Spanish Supper on a cold wet night in Galicia, northern Spain, more likely than not it'll be a hearty and restorative stew, probably one that has been simmered over the open-fire for several hours and served for several days.

This stew always tastes better the day afterwards which is a great excuse for making double the quantity for two meals in one, as well as being thrifty on utilities and time.

This recipe can be watered down more and served more like a soup than a stew. Do make enough for two helpings, as the flavours really develop if left a day or two, but keep it in the fridge. It is definitely not so good if frozen, the freezing process seems to change the consistency of the beans for the worse.

Caldo Gallego or Galician Stew

Ingredients for 4 – 6 people

  • ½ pound thickly sliced pancetta or a thick slab of bacon, diced
  • 1 cup dried white beans, soaked overnight
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 baking potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 2 turnips, peeled and diced
  • ½ pound Spanish chorizo, thickly sliced
  • 1 pound turnip green or other dark leafy greens, chopped
  • Water, to cover the beans

Method

  1. Cook the pancetta or bacon in a big heavy-bottomed saucepan until the fat has melted and the bacon is bordering on well-cooked. This should take around 8 – 10 minutes.
  2. Drain the beans from their overnight soaking water and add them to the bacon in the saucepan with enough water to cover them and about 2 inches more.
  3. Bring the water to the boil slowly, continually skimming off any foam that forms.
  4. When the beans are boiling reduce the cooking heat to low and simmer the contents gently for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the beans have begun to soften.
  5. Add the diced onions, potatoes and turnips and cook for 20 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
  6. Add the slices of chorizo and the leafy greens and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the greens are nicely tender.
  7. Add some more water if it’s going to be served as a soup, otherwise leave it to sit and rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serving Suggestion

Serve the soup or stew with some big hunks of buttered crusty bread, preferably home-made and wholemeal for a nutritious and hearty main meal or supper dish. It’s a perfect winter warming food – warming you up from the inside.

This recipe will soon become a favourite for the chef and diners!

The copyright of the article Caldo Gallego – Galician Stew or Soup in Mediterranean Cuisine is owned by Rachel L. Webb. Permission to republish Caldo Gallego – Galician Stew or Soup in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.