Chorizo-Tomato Stew

I have been making this stew for a number of years now, because I almost always have all the ingredients on hand, and true to a Rachel Ray recipe, it is easy to throw together.

(Thanks to my great uncle in Idaho, most everyone in my family always has a backlog of Basque Chorizo in the freezer.)

Like most stews, it is super flexible and forgiving. I don't always poach an egg to go on top, but it is super delicious. The same thing goes for making the "garlic crouton" to put in the bottom of the bowl. I probably make it half the time, but there's already garlic in the stew, so the other half of the time I just serve it with bread to sop up all the delicious broth left over.

This time I threw in some fresh thyme because I had it and didn't add in too much spice because the Basque Chorizo is pretty flavorful. I also go back and forth on the zest and parsley topping, seen below. It is tasty and brightens up the dish, but sometimes I can't be bothered. When I made this the other day, I still had some of the rosemary olive oil left over from the mushroom barley soup, and so put that over the top instead.

Chorizo-Tomato Stew, originally from Rachel Ray:

Top photo mine, bottom photo via.