Spanish Chorizo Stew with Lentils - Lentejas con Chorizo
Spanish Chorizo Stew with Lentils (Lentejas con Chorizo) is a classic Spanish stew made with lentils and lots of smoky chorizo. Its hearty and the perfect comfort food for when the weather starts to cool down.
Equipment
- Cooking Tongs
- Wooden cutting board
- Chef knife
- 12 inch cast iron skillet with deep sides (or an olla de hierra)
- Large pot with lid
- Cooking Tongs
- Sieve or mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 5 links of chorizo around 500g, add more if you prefer
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cups soaked Pardina Brown Lentils or Brown lentils, see notes below
- 6 cloves of garlic minced
- 3 carrots peeled and diced
- 1 large potato peeled and diced
- 2 Italian Green peppers or 1 large bell pepper
- 5 cups stock or water (chicken or veggie stock both work fine)
- 1 Tbsp Spanish Smoked Paprika we always use La Vera Paprika
- Sea Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Bay leaves dried
- bunch fresh rosemary
Instructions
Step 1 - Rinse and soak Lentils
- Rinse 2 cups of lentils under fresh water, then soak for a few moments while you prepare the other ingredients.2 cups soaked Pardina Brown Lentils
- Optional to add a little salt (I prefer to season later).
Step 2 - Prepare the veg and stock
- Slice and dice the veggies and chorizo and set a aside.5 links of chorizo, 3 carrots, 1 large potato, 2 Italian Green peppers, 1 onion
- Crush a few cloves of garlic and remove the skin.6 cloves of garlic
- Add all the veg ends to a large pot with 2 liters of water and a stock cube (veggie or chicken both work well).5 cups stock
- Alternatively, make your stock from scratch (We’ve got a homemade chicken stock recipe here).
Step 3 - Make a herb bundle
- Take 2 bay leaves and few springs of fresh rosemary and bundle in some twine. Make sure the knot is firm to stop the bundle falling apart once immersed in the stew.2 Bay leaves, bunch fresh rosemary
Step 4 - Brown onion and chorizo
- Add a good splash of olive oil to a large skillet or olla de hierra.Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Once the oil is hot, add the onion, cracked garlic, and the herb bundle and saute for 5 minutes.
- Next add the sliced chorizo and stir through while cooking. After around 5 minutes, the chorizo should start to release its paprika-infused oil.
Step 5 - Add veg
- Add the diced and chopped veg and stir through. Continue to simmer for around 5-10 minutes or until the veg start to soften.
- Reduce heat to low and season to taste with some salt, pepper, and smoked paprika and stir through.1 Tbsp Spanish Smoked Paprika, Sea Salt and pepper
Step 6 Add stock and lentils
- Add the stock (around 5-6 cups), then add the rinsed and drained lentils. Stir through and increase the heat.
- Bring to a boil (around 3-4 minutes), then reduce heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer for at least 45 minutes.
- For best results simmer for around 1.5-2 hours, adding more stock around half way through. The lentils will become very soft and will absorb a lot of the flavor.
Step 7 - Serve
- Remove the herb bundle right before serving.
- Season to taste and serve with lots of fresh crusty bread.
Notes
Where to buy Fresh Chorizo (outside of Spain)
While you can buy dry/slicing Spanish chorizo in many supermarkets outside of Spain, tracking down fresh chorizo might be more tricky. We suggest buying it online and here’s a few reliable brands:- Pork Chorizo (Wholefoods)
- Silva Sausage, Chorizo Spanish, 11 oz
- Chorizos El Miño . 4 Pack 7 oz (Mexican, but comparable)
Cooking tips:
- Can’t source Pardinas lentils? Use any ordinary brown lentils instead. They are easy to source from any decent supermarket or dried foods store.
- Chorizo Choice: Use Spanish cooking chorizo (not cured) so it releases flavorful oils that season the potatoes. (more info on where to source fresh chorizo in the section below)