Stewed lentil recipe

Lentil stew: homemade recipe

How to make lentils with chorizo Preparation time12 noonCooking time1 hour

Ingredients: 

for 4 people

• 500g lentils
• 1 sausage
• 250 g pancetta or ham cut into cubes
• 1 large potato
• 1 large carrot
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 onion
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper
• 1.5 liters of water

Other ingredients: 

• 1 green pepper
• 2 tomatoes
• cumin to taste
• 200g pork ribs
• Zucchini, leek and any other vegetables you want to add

Who doesn’t remember grandma’s homemade lentils on her old butane gas stove during winter days? And it is that in traditional Spanish cuisine, each woman has her own recipe to prepare stewed lentils, either as a stew with chorizo ​​or a version only with vegetables, in short, everything will depend on the tastes of the family. 

Therefore, if you don’t know how to cook lentils and you are looking for a practical, nutritious and quick recipe, here we will explain it to you step by step.

First of all, you should know that the estimated amount of lentils per person is between 85 and 90 g per diner. In the case of our recipe, we have indicated 500 g to prepare a meal for four people, because let’s be honest, we know that more than one will repeat and serve more stewed lentils, or, failing that, the leftovers will be saved for the day next, when they will be even more delicious. 

Secondly, it is recommended to soak the lentils overnight to speed up their cooking. Ideally, the water should completely cover the lentils. There are those who summarize this step in just 2 or 3 hours of soaking, but consider that the cooking time will be longer. Now, follow our recipe step by step.

1. Wash well and drain the lentils after the soaking time.
2. Peel and cut the potato into thick cubes to cook them in a saucepan with enough water. You can reserve this water to incorporate it into the cooking of the lentils.
3. In another pan you are going to prepare the sofrito. To do this you will place a splash of olive oil, being slightly hot add the crushed garlic cloves. When these turn golden, it is time to add the diced chorizo, the ham or bacon, and if you want the pork ribs. Let them brown and release their juices. 
4. Now it’s time to add the bay leaf, the chopped carrots, the other vegetables of your choice and the onion, peeled whole or cut in half. We suggest not to cut the onion into small pieces because many people do not like to find the onion in the stew. This makes it easier to remove it whole or in large chunks before serving the lentils.
5. You can add the green pepper and the grated tomatoes at this time, letting the sauce cook for a couple of minutes without stopping stirring so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. (These ingredients can be omitted, however they add a very flavorful extra touch to the stew.)
6. The next step is to add the drained lentils to the sauce pan and stir so that they are integrated with the other ingredients. 
7. At this point you are going to add the cooking water of the potatoes. This should completely cover all the ingredients and be about two fingers above. If you see that it is not enough, you can add more water, just keep in mind that it must be hot so as not to interrupt the cooking of the lentils. 
8. Let the lentils cook for about 20 minutes, season the preparation and add, if you want, a pinch of cumin. When rectifying the point of salt you can add the potatoes that were cooked at the beginning and let cook about 5 more minutes.
9. When serving you can cut fresh parsley and place on top of the stew, it will give it a touch of color and very special flavor.