When the air gets crisp, you know what I crave? Something hearty, something that warms you right down to your bones! Forget that flimsy broth stuff; we need texture and punch. That’s why I’m sharing this absolute gem: my go-to **Chorizo Rice Bean Soup**. Seriously, this soup is everything! It’s smoky from the chorizo, filling thanks to the rice and beans, and comes together faster than you’d think.

I first whipped this up years ago when I was trying to stretch a small grocery budget, and it turned into an instant win. My kids didn’t even complain about the beans! They just kept asking for another bowl. It’s become sacred around here—the official start of cold-weather cooking. Trust me, if you need a flavorful, stick-to-your-ribs meal on the table in under an hour, this recipe is your new best friend.

Why This Chorizo Rice Bean Soup Recipe Works (A Quick Look)

What’s the magic here? Honestly, it’s the balance. I need flavor, but I also don’t want to spend three hours stirring soup when I could be relaxing. This Chorizo Rice Bean Soup gives you huge flavor—that smoky, savory punch—with almost zero effort. You’ll spend more time chopping the veggies than actually cooking!

It’s incredibly satisfying, too. The combination of rice absorbing that spicy broth and the tender beans sticks with you until dinnertime the next day. If you loved my famous chili recipe, you’re going to adore this soup because it brings that same comforting, rich profile to the table fast.

Recipe Details at a Glance

I always look at the timing tags first, so I made sure to include them right up front for you. It’s a weeknight wonder, I promise!

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Total Time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings

Gathering Ingredients for Your Chorizo Rice Bean Soup

Okay, let’s talk supplies! This soup is brilliant because it mostly relies on pantry staples, which means you don’t have to run to the store every time you get a craving. You’ll need your main flavor bomb first: one pound of dried chorizo sausage. Make sure you slice it up so we can get all that glorious, spicy fat rendered out later.

Next up are the soup veggies—the aromatic workhorses! Grab one large onion, two carrots, and two celery stalks, and chop ’em up fine. Don’t forget four cloves of garlic; I mince mine, but if you’re lazy like me some days, the jarred stuff works in a real pinch!

For the spices, keep it simple but bold: cumin, oregano, and a little smoked paprika. That paprika is what gives this Chorizo Rice Bean Soup its depth, so don’t skip it! You’ll also need six cups of chicken broth and a can of diced tomatoes. Then, grab your beans—one can each of black beans and kidney beans—but you absolutely must remember to rinse and drain them first. Nobody wants foamy soup!

And finally, the star carb! One cup of uncooked white rice goes right into the pot. If you’re sensitive to the spice of chorizo, my trick is to substitute about half of it with smoked sausage—you get the smoky flavor without the heat. It’s just as delicious! For more bean inspiration, you can check out my recipe for ultimate baked beans, which uses that same flavor profile!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Chorizo Rice Bean Soup

Alright, time to get cooking! Making this soup is easy, but the order matters if you want that deep, rich flavor that makes this Chorizo Rice Bean Soup famous in my house. You’ll be using one big pot—probably your trusty Dutch oven—which cuts down on cleanup, which is always a win in my book!

Sautéing Aromatics and Spices for the Chorizo Rice Bean Soup Base

First things first, heat that olive oil over medium heat. Then, toss in your sliced chorizo. This is what I call the flavor extraction step! You want to cook it until it’s nicely browned, usually about 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the cooked sausage out and set it aside on a plate to drain. Now, here’s my big secret for amazing soup: don’t dump out that beautiful, spicy rendered fat! That fat is liquid gold and becomes the base for everything else.

Next, toss in your chopped onion, carrots, and celery right into that hot chorizo grease. Sauté them until they start looking soft, which takes about 5 minutes. Be patient here; you need those veggies soft so they melt into the soup later.

Once soft, make a little space in the middle of your pot and quickly stir in the minced garlic, cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika. You only cook these for about 60 seconds until you can really smell that amazing aroma. We call that ‘blooming’ the spices! It wakes them right up so they give the whole soup a serious kick. That’s Step 4 done!

Simmering the Chorizo Rice Bean Soup to Tenderness

Now we build the liquid base. Pour in your six cups of chicken broth and dump in the entire can of diced tomatoes—juice and all! Stir everything up really well and bring that whole mixture to a rolling boil. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t bubble over the sides!

When it’s boiling happily, stir in your rinsed black beans, kidney beans, and the uncooked white rice. Once it comes back up to a boil, immediately reduce the heat way down to low, put the lid on tight, and just let it simmer away. You need to let this cook for a solid 20 minutes, or until that rice is completely tender.

Once the rice is soft—and it will be, trust me—it’s time to bring that cooked chorizo back home! Stir it back into the pot. Give it a taste test, and then season with salt and pepper until it tastes exactly how you want it to. Let it heat through for about 5 more minutes, and then you’re ready to eat! If you want to read a full guide on how to use chorizo and tomato together, check out my chorizo and tomato rice post!

Expert Tips for Elevating Your Chorizo Rice Bean Soup

You’ve got the recipe down—it’s honestly just that easy—but now I want to share a couple of little tricks I use when I want this Chorizo Rice Bean Soup to feel extra special. These aren’t in the main recipe because they’re technically “optional,” but they make a huge difference in texture and flavor depth.

Let’s talk thickness first. If you find your soup is a little too thin for your liking after the rice is cooked, you don’t need to add cornstarch or flour slurry—that gets gummy! Instead, take about half a cup of those cooked beans—kidney or black, doesn’t matter—and gently mash them right against the side of the pot with the back of your spoon. When you stir those mashed beans in, they emulsify slightly with the liquid and make the whole soup wonderfully creamy and thicker. It’s my favorite trick, and it keeps the soup pure!

Another swap that works well is using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth if you happen to be out, or if you want to serve it to someone who doesn’t eat chicken. It changes the flavor subtly, but it still works beautifully with the smoky chorizo. If you’re also interested in learning how to make amazing chorizo spreads, check out my guide on homemade chorizo rillettes. It’s not soup, but it’s pure flavor!

Serving Suggestions for Chorizo Rice Bean Soup

Now that you’ve got this steaming pot of goodness in front of you, we have to talk toppings! This Chorizo Rice Bean Soup is hearty enough to stand alone, but just a couple of little additions can take it over the top. I always grab a wedge of fresh lime—a little squeeze brightens up all that smoky depth, trust me.

If you like a little freshness, some chopped cilantro or even some sliced green onions sprinkled right on top make it look beautiful, too. And because this soup is so savory, you absolutely need something crusty for dipping. I usually make a batch of my irresistible garlic bread twists on the side. They’re perfect for soaking up every last drop of that broth!

Storage and Reheating This Chorizo Rice Bean Soup

The best part about this soup? The leftovers! This Chorizo Rice Bean Soup tastes even better the next day once the flavors have really settled in together. Scoop any extras into an airtight container. I usually let mine cool down on the counter for a little bit, and then it goes straight into the fridge.

When you’re ready for round two, skip the microwave if you can! Reheating on the stovetop over low heat is much better. The rice tends to soak up liquid while it rests, so definitely keep an extra splash of chicken broth handy. Just stir in a little bit of liquid as it heats up until you get that perfect soup consistency again. Heaven!

Frequently Asked Questions About Chorizo Rice Bean Soup

I always get a ton of questions when I post recipes involving sausage, so let’s tackle the common ones right now before you dive in. It’s important you feel confident mixing this up exactly how you like it!

Can I make this soup vegetarian?

Well, yes and no. The whole heartiness of this recipe comes from the glorious, rendered fat of the dried chorizo sausage, so skipping it changes the soup profile immensely. If you want vegetarian, you’ll need to replace that flavor base entirely. Try heating up a good drizzle of olive oil and blooming your spices—cumin, oregano, and paprika—in it, maybe adding a bit of smoked paprika for that smoky punch. You could also add mushrooms or smoked tofu for texture, but it won’t be the same spicy Chorizo Rice Bean Soup you see here.

How can I make the Chorizo Rice Bean Soup spicier?

If you like it hot, I totally support you! The easiest way is to simply add a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes when you are blooming your other spices (that step 4 in the recipe). Or, grab a spicy variety of chorizo if your store carries it—that automatically ups the heat level in the rendered fat. If you want a totally different flavor kick, check out my chicken taco soup, which has a completely different, but equally customizable, spice profile.

Can I use canned chorizo instead of dried sausage?

This is a good question! Canned chorizo is usually already cooked and suspended in oil, and it tends to break down way too much in a soup like this. You won’t get that nice browning or the chance to build that flavor base from rendering the fat. I highly recommend using the dried style you slice yourself—it holds its shape much better during the long simmer until the rice is tender.

Do I really need to rinse the canned beans?

Yes, please do! Rinsing the black beans and kidney beans removes that starchy canning liquid. If you don’t rinse them, that liquid can add a slightly metallic or canned flavor, and honestly, it makes the soup foamy when it boils. A quick rinse under cool water while you drain them keeps the broth clean and tasting fresh!

Nutritional Snapshot of Chorizo Rice Bean Soup

Okay, so while this Chorizo Rice Bean Soup is truly soul food, I know some of you are keeping an eye on the numbers, and that’s totally fine! I pulled together the estimates based on the ingredients for a standard serving size, which is about 1.5 cups, according to my calculations. It’s great how much great fiber and protein we get in here thanks to all those beans!

Just remember how I feel about exact measurements: what I throw into my pot might be slightly different than what you use, considering which brand of chorizo I buy or how much salt I add at the end. So please take this as a helpful guide, not gospel truth.

Serving Size: 1.5 cups
Calories: 420
Fat: 18g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Protein: 25g
Carbohydrates: 45g
Fiber: 10g
Sugar: 6g
Sodium: 850mg

See? A healthy dose of protein and fiber to keep you full! The sodium count is a little higher, which lets you know that chorizo and broth pack a punch—so taste before you salt at the end, okay? These numbers are just estimates, so your actual results might vary based on your specific ingredients, but it gives you a good idea of why I keep cycling back to this recipe!

Share Your Experience Making Chorizo Rice Bean Soup

Now that you’ve got the secrets to making this amazing, hearty Chorizo Rice Bean Soup, I really, really want to hear from you! Don’t just walk away and forget about me!

Did you try it? Was the chorizo spicy enough? Did mashing those beans make the texture perfect for your family? Let me know everything! I thrive on feedback—it helps me tweak things for future batches and gives me energy to keep writing these posts.

Please pop down into the comments right now, tell me how it went, and give it a star rating. If you loved it as much as we do, give this recipe 5 stars! It helps other hungry folks find this little gem online.

And if you snap a picture—because this soup looks gorgeous in a bowl, especially with cilantro sprinkled over the top—please share it on social media and tag me! I love seeing my recipes out in the wild. If you ever need to get in touch directly with questions or just want to share a victory, you can always reach out via my contact page. Happy cooking, and enjoy those leftovers!

Chorizo Rice Bean Soup

Author: jekof.com
Total Time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Diet: Low Fat

Print Recipe

Description

A hearty soup featuring chorizo sausage, rice, and beans.

Ingredients

Scale

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound dried chorizo sausage, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
6 cups chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup white rice, uncooked
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add sliced chorizo and cook until browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove chorizo with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving rendered fat in the pot.
Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in garlic, cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Pour in chicken broth and add diced tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Stir in black beans, kidney beans, and uncooked rice. Return the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender.
Return the cooked chorizo to the pot. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
Heat through for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

For a thicker soup, mash about 1/2 cup of the beans against the side of the pot before adding the chorizo back in.
You can substitute smoked sausage for chorizo if you prefer less spice.

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Mexican-inspired

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1.5 cups
Calories: 420
Sugar: 6
Sodium: 850
Fat: 18
Saturated Fat: 6
Unsaturated Fat: 12
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 45
Fiber: 10
Protein: 25
Cholesterol: 45

Keywords: chorizo, rice, bean soup, hearty soup, sausage soup, cumin, oregano