Butternut Squash Soup with Chorizo, Chickpeas & Kale: who says too many cooks spoil the soup?

Whoever said that too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the soup wasn't entirely correct.

It's true: I typically cook better when I'm the only one in the kitchen and Latin music is blasting from my computer. However, there is a part of cooking process where I love: collaboration, which  involves combining different culinary inspirations into one recipe.

This  Butternut Squash Soup with Chorizo, Chickpeas and Kale is the perfect example of a successful collaboration process.

The base of the soup is Robyn Webb's Southwestern Squash and Leek Soup; the addition of kale, chickpeas and chorizo comes from Joe Yonan's Serve Yourself cookbook, and the chorizo was made by my friend Cecilia!

Phew. Now that I've given everyone proper credit, let me tell you a bit more about the soup.

Joe Yonan's Sweet Potato Soup with Chorizo, Chickpeas and Kale has a base of sweet potatoes cooked with carrots, celery, leek, thyme and curry powder. When I read the recipe, it sounded fantastic and really simple.

I was about to head to the store to pick all the ingredients, but then remembered that I had a container of Southwestern Squash and Leek Soup I made as part of my freelancing for Robyn Webb sitting in my freezer. The flavors were very similar: butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes, leeks, white wine, curry and some butter. I thought it would be an excellent substitute!

The topping for Joe Yonan's soup called for Mexican chorizo, but I used the Spanish chorizo Cecilia made and shared with me. The rest of the ingredients were the same as Joe's: chickpeas and kale. Heat a skillet, add chorizo and cook it for a few minutes. Add chickpeas and let them brown, and then add kale and cook it until it wilts.

My entire condo smelled amazing: the curry from the soup, the spicy and garlicky Spanish chorizo, and the slightly bitter scent of kale!

The soup was perfect for lunch; all you really need is a slice of good bread, and you are set! It also keeps great as leftovers--the flavors just have more time to interact and develop as the soup sits in the refrigerator.

Do you ever combine different recipes/ideas? Does it work successfully or lead to a disaster? Do share!