Lentejas con Chorizo
Spanish Lentil and Chorizo Stew
This is what a great many Spanish households eat for lunch on an ordinary weekday: small brown lentils simmered with chorizo, onion, carrot and a potato until the broth is thick and stained red with paprika. No soaking and no skill are needed.
The Spanish recipe read uses pardina lentils, which hold their shape and need no soaking, with fresh chorizo, onion, carrot, garlic, a diced potato and a little sweet paprika. The lentils take about 45 minutes.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 350 g pardina lentils, or small brown or green lentils, rinsed
- 200 g cooking chorizo, cut into 1 cm slices
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 2 cm dice
- 1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 25 ml olive oil
- 1.5 litres cold water
- Fine sea salt
Method
- Soften the vegetables Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Cook the onion, carrot and garlic for 8 minutes until soft. Add the chorizo and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until it releases its red fat.
- Add the lentils Take the pan off the heat, stir in the paprika, then add the lentils, bay leaf and water. Bring to the boil and skim.
- Simmer Simmer gently, partly covered, for 25 minutes. Add the potato and cook for 20 minutes more, until the lentils are soft but whole and the potato is tender. Add a little hot water if it becomes too thick.
- Season and rest Season with salt, remove the bay leaf and rest for 10 minutes before serving. The chorizo should be piping hot all the way through.
A splash of sherry vinegar in each bowl is a common finishing touch in Spanish homes, though it is not in the recipe read.