Lentils with Chorizo Recipe

Spanish gastronomy is best known for its tapas, Iberian ham, olive oil and Valencian paella. But if you ask a Spaniard living abroad which dishes they miss, most of them will probably tell you that they miss the spoon dishes, such as chickpea stew, bean stew or lentil stew.

Today I bring you one of these recipes, specifically lentils with chorizo. This traditional Spanish dish is ideal for warming up on the coldest winter days.

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Soaking the lentils

To save cooking time, it is common to place the lentils in a bowl of water and soak them overnight before cooking. This way you can reduce the cooking time by about 30 minutes.

Ingredients for 4 people

500g lentils
1.5l hot water
250g chorizo sausage
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 chopped green pepper
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon of sweet paprika from La Vera
5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Preparation

In a large frying pan, heat 4 tablespoons of oil and sauté the chopped garlic, onion, carrot, leek, pepper and bay leaf for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add the smoked paprika and chopped tomato and fry for a further 3 minutes.
Add the lentils and cover with the hot water. Season the lentils with salt and simmer with the lid on for about 45-50 minutes (if you have soaked the lentils, 20 minutes is enough), keeping the liquid from boiling over as the lentils will split. Shake the pot from time to time. While the lentils are cooking, heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan and fry the chorizo for a couple of minutes on each side. Drain the chorizo for a few seconds on kitchen paper to remove excess fat and add it to the lentil stew during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Once the lentils are tender, remove the pan from the heat, cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving in warm soup plates with some crusty bread. Serve with a glass of Rioja Crianza red wine.