Spanish Chickpea and Chorizo Soup

The egg was a bit unexpected when I first served this, but it actually adds a lovely richness to it.

1. 1

   Put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into a large pot and add the chorizo. Allow to heat up and cook for a couple of minutes until the fat comes out of the chorizo.
   
   Add your onion, garlic and celery.
   
   Turn the heat down and cook slowly for 15 minutes with a lid on and without colouring the onions.
   
   Now take the lid off – the smell and colour will be fantastic. Stir it around and get some colour happening now.
   
   Add your spinach, tomatoes, chickpeas and chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for around 40 minutes.
   
   At this point you can remove about a third of the mixture and purée it in a food processor. Pour it back into the pot, give it a good stir and season to taste with salt and pepper.
   
   Remove from the heat and stir in the pata negra or ham and 2 or 3 tablespoons of good Spanish extra virgin olive oil.
   
   Divide into bowls and grate some hard-boiled egg on top.