Spanish Lentejas (Lentil Stew) with Chorizo

About This Recipe

Lentejas is a staple of Spanish home cooking, especially in the colder months, built on the same foundation as many Spanish stews: a sofrito of onion, garlic and pepper, smoked paprika for depth, and chorizo whose rendered fat colors and flavors the entire pot. Unlike many Middle Eastern or Indian lentil preparations, Spanish lentejas leans savory and smoky rather than warmly spiced, closer in spirit to a bean stew than a curry.\n\nThe technique that gives this dish its character is browning the chorizo first so its paprika-red fat renders into the pot, which becomes the base for cooking the sofrito and eventually the lentils themselves — every element of the stew ends up tinted and flavored by that rendered fat. A bay leaf simmered in throughout adds a subtle background note that's traditional in most Spanish bean and lentil dishes.\n\nServe with crusty bread for mopping up the broth — this is unpretentious, deeply satisfying home cooking, meant to be eaten in big bowls on a weeknight.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1.5 cupsbrown lentils(rinsed)
• 150 gSpanish cured chorizo(sliced into rounds)
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1onion(diced)
• 1green bell pepper(diced)
• 2carrots(diced)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 tspsweet smoked paprika
• 1bay leaf
• 2tomatoes(diced, or 1 cup canned diced tomatoes)
• 5 cupschicken or vegetable stock
• 1potato(diced)
• 2 tbspfresh parsley(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Render the chorizo

   Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook 4-5 minutes until it releases its red-tinted fat and crisps slightly.

2. 2

   Build the sofrito

   Add onion, pepper and carrots to the pot. Cook 8 minutes until softened, then add garlic and smoked paprika and cook 1 minute until fragrant.

3. 3

   Add tomatoes and bay leaf

   Stir in tomatoes and bay leaf and cook 5 minutes until the tomatoes break down slightly.

4. 4

   Simmer

   Add lentils, potato and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook uncovered 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and potato are fully tender.

   Add salt toward the end rather than the beginning — lentils and beans can toughen slightly if salted too early in a long simmer.

5. 5

   Finish

   Remove the bay leaf, taste and adjust seasoning, and stir in parsley just before serving.

Variations

• •

  Add a ham hock or bone along with the chorizo at the start for an even deeper, more traditional Spanish flavor, removing it before serving.

• •

  Make it vegetarian by skipping the chorizo and adding an extra teaspoon of smoked paprika plus a splash of sherry vinegar for depth.

• •

  Stir in chopped spinach or kale in the last 5 minutes for extra greens.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days; the flavor deepens overnight. Freezes well for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions