Lentejas (Spanish lentil and chorizo soup)
60 min · 30 g protein · 441 cals / serving
The thick, smoky lentil soup Spanish families eat every week, made for a thermos: little lentils, potato, carrot and green pepper simmered with smoked paprika, a modest piece of chorizo and diced ham, finished with a splash of vinegar. It tastes even better on day two, which is exactly when you will be eating it.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil, the chorizo adds its own fat
- 3 oz spanish chorizo, cured Spanish chorizo, diced small
- 5 oz deli ham, thick-cut, diced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp paprika, smoked (pimentón)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups lentils, small brown or green lentils, rinsed
- 2 medium gold potatoes, peeled, in 2 cm (3/4-inch) chunks
- 2 leaves bay leaf
- 5 1/2 cups chicken broth, low-sodium
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar, or sherry vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt, to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Steps
- Warm the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the chorizo and ham and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the chorizo releases its red oil and the ham starts to colour.
- Add the onion, green pepper, carrot and garlic and cook gently for 8 minutes, until soft and sweet.
- Stir in the smoked paprika and cumin for 30 seconds (paprika burns fast), then the tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the lentils, potatoes, bay leaves and broth. Bring to the boil, then lower to a gentle simmer, partly covered, for 30–35 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are tender and the potatoes are starting to fall apart and thicken the soup.
- Fish out the bay leaves. Mash a few potato chunks against the side of the pot for a thicker soup, stir in the vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.
Good to know
How do I keep it hot in a thermos until lunch?
Fill the thermos with boiling water and close it for 5 minutes while you reheat the soup until it is bubbling hard. Pour out the water, fill the thermos right to the top with the soup and close it straight away. A good food flask keeps it above 140°F for 5–6 hours.
How long does it keep?
4 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer, in portion-sized tubs. It thickens as it stands, so loosen it with a splash of water when you reheat.
Can I use more chorizo?
It is the traditional way to make it heartier and smokier. Doubling it makes the soup richer, at about 65 instead of 70.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 82
- Protein
- (29%)
- 6 g
- Fat
- (20%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (51%)
- 12 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 413 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 2203 kcal goes into the pot and 2923 g of ingredients comes out as about 2675 g of food: 82 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.