Lentil stew (lentejas)
- 250 gr. lentils
- 1 chorizo (or a few slices if you can't get a small sausage-shaped one)
- 100 gr. serrano ham
- 1 large onion
- 1 small glass of red wine
- 2 cloves (optional)
- 1 red pepper (optional)
- 1 bayleaf
- 2 large carrots
- 3 small potatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 pinch saffron
- Soak the lentils for half an hour.
- Even though small lentils in packets usually don't need soaking, Spanish women tend to soak anyway
- Cut the ham and chorizo into dice-shaped pieces.
- Peel and wash the carrots and potatoes.
- Slice the carrots and halve the potatoes (unless they are very small).
- Wash and slice a small red pepper (optional).
- Drain the lentils and put them in a saucepan.
- Add enough water to cover them and add the ham, chorizo, carrots, potatoes, bayleaf, pepper, parsley, a little salt, saffron and wine.
- Also add the cloves if you want the lentils to have a slightly spicey air to them.
- Put the pan over a low heat and cover.
- Slice the onion and garlic and fry, stirring all the time.
- After a minute or so, add the sliced red pepper.
- This is optional and adds a slightly sweet flavour to the lentejas.
- When soft, add to the other ingredients in the saucepan.
- Let the lentil stew simmer for at least 40 minutes.
- Boil off any excess liquid at the end.
- Vegetarian Spanish lentils: To make a vegetarian version of Spanish lentil soup, just substitute the chorizo and ham for more vegetables.
- We recommend adding a little celery (not the leaves), 3 artichokes (without the stalk and outer leaves and cut into halves), 100gr wild mushrooms (if you can get any, otherwise normal ones, washed and sliced), a sprig of rosemary, a piece of lemon peel and a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of sweet paprika.
- Put all of these into the saucepan in step 3.
- You may also like to add a vegtable stock cube.
lentils, chorizo, serrano ham, onion, glass of red wine, red pepper, bayleaf, carrots, potatoes, garlic, saffron
Taken from cookpad.com/us/recipes/241133-lentil-stew-lentejas (may not work)