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Soy chorizo sizzles in Spicy Clam and Kale Soup

 
Spicy Clam and Kale Soup uses soy chorizo, which has less than half the fat and calories of pork chorizo.
Spicy Clam and Kale Soup uses soy chorizo, which has less than half the fat and calories of pork chorizo.
Published March 5, 2015

Tucked away between the tofu "cheeses" and textured vegetable protein taco crumbles lies a tiny package you should consider including in your lineup of good-for-you ingredients: soy chorizo.

Vegetarian and vegan readers may well be nodding their heads as they read. But even if you are a steak-loving meat eater, soy chorizo is worth keeping on hand.

Chorizo — the real deal, that is — is a spicy, fatty pork sausage oozing with flavor. Fresh (or Mexican) chorizo is most common in the United States, though sometimes you'll find the Spanish or dried version. Chorizo is used primarily to accent other ingredients, mixed in with scrambled eggs, sauteed with vegetables or added to stuffings, stews or chilis.

Soy chorizo usually is a Mexican-style chorizo, and it's just as versatile and flavorful as the real thing. And like the pork version, it usually comes in tube-shaped sausage casings. Squeeze the chorizo out of the casings and it cooks up like ground meat. As it cooks, the chorizo imparts a wonderfully spicy, slightly fatty sauce that makes everything in the dish infinitely better.

But soy chorizo has less than half the fat and calories of pork chorizo. And since the flavor and texture of soy chorizo are close enough to the real thing, it's a caloric flavor bargain in my book.

In the spirit of the recent Chinese New Year, I'm celebrating clams, which are said to represent financial fortune in the year to come. Enjoy them in a just-spicy-enough soy chorizo broth, along with some bright, fresh kale. A few toasty croutons on top sop up the tasty broth.

This easy recipe is a perfect way to try soy chorizo for the vegetarian meat newbie, and it's a delicious way to bring a little extra luck this year.

Food Network star Melissa d'Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the new cookbook "Supermarket Healthy."