Pic of Tomato and chorizo rice with green olives and spinach

Tomato and chorizo rice with green olives and spinach

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Meat mains

Tomato and chorizo rice with green olives and spinach

Main Serves 2 35 min
This dish is like a beginner's paella, no need for a specialist pan or rice. If rinsed well the rice won't cloud the dish with starch and make it risotto-like. Be cautious with your seasoning in the early stages as the stock, chorizo and olives will all bring a saltiness with them.

Cook's notes

Blanching, cooling and squeezing the spinach may seem like a faff but it locks the bright green colour into the leaves and stops too much extra liquid from water-logging the dish in the final stages. Spinach will often bleed its colour too, which can make certain dishes appear a bit murky.

Ingredients

  • 1 red onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • olive oil
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • 200g brown basmati rice
  • 200g cooking chorizo
  • 80g green olives
  • 75ml white wine
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • 200g spinach
  • 1 lemon
  • salt and pepper

Method

Prep time: 5 min
Cooking time: 30 min

  • Step 1

    Put a kettle on to boil. Peel and finely slice the red onion. Peel and finely chop or crush 2 garlic cloves. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and cook the onions on a medium heat for 5 minutes, until starting to soften.

  • Step 2

    While the onions cook, measure out 350ml of hot water from the kettle and whisk in the stock cube until dissolved. Rinse the rice under cold running water in a sieve. Remove the skins from the chorizo and break each sausage into 10-12 pieces. Add the garlic and chorizo to the onions and cook for a further 3 minutes.

  • Step 3

    Meanwhile, slice the olives into half's. Tip in the thyme, wine and rice, cook for 2 minutes more. Add the chopped tomatoes, olives and stock. Bring to a simmer, season with a little salt and pepper and cook gently for 20 minutes, until the rice is plump and tender.

  • Step 4

    While the rice cooks, put a pan of salted water on to boil. Wash the spinach and blanch it in the pan of boiling water for about 30 seconds, until it wilts.

  • Step 5

    Drain and cool immediately in cold water. When the spinach is cold, drain and squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands. Roughly chop the squeezed spinach.

  • Step 6

    When the rice has cooked, stir in the chopped spinach to warm through. Adjust the seasoning to your liking and serve in bowls with lemon wedges for squeezing.