Lentil Soup

A few months back, I was in Laguna Central for a meeting. My wife, daughter and granddaughter stayed at Paseo de Sta. Rosa while waiting for me. My wife, while at Paseo, decided to buy lentils and Spanish chorizo from Santi’s Delicatessen. We love the products available at Santi’s.  This is where I get my bottles of red wine too!  So I figured it is time to make Lentil Soup.

Lentil soup is a favorite of mine so I figured, why not post a recipe. Not wanting to waste these very good ingredients, I searched the web for a good recipe and found one at San Pasqual’s Kitchen.     This recipe is exactly how my grandmother used to make this soup when I was still a kid. I just remembered, every time my grandma cooks lentil soup, I would conveniently be at their place right before lunch to enjoy this very good dish.

The lentil comes from a bushy annual plant from the legume family and known for its lens shaped seeds. Lentils have the second-highest ratio of protein per calorie of any legume, after soybeans. Canada and India are the world’s largest producers of lentils.

This lentil soup also has chorizo. Chorizo (Spanish) is a type of pork sausage that traditionally uses natural casings made from intestines, a method used since Roman times. Spanish chorizo is made from coarsely chopped pork and pork fat, seasoned with pimentón – a smoked paprika and salt. It is generally classed as either picante(spicy) or dulce (sweet), depending upon the type of pimentón used.

Why don’t you give this recipe a try? I bet you will not regret it.

Ingredients:

• 1¾ cups lentils
• 1 chorizo sliced, 9 oz
• 4 cloves garlic unpeeled
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 large potato peeled and diced
• 2 carrots peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp Spanish paprika
• Olive oil for sautéing
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Wash lentils.
2. Place lentils, chorizo, whole garlic cloves, carrots, and potatoes in a large pot.
3. Pour water at least 3 fingers over total.
4. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Let cook uncovered stirring occasionally.
5. Fry onions in a pan with olive oil until slightly browned, then add Spanish paprika.
6. Add onions to the pot of lentils. Salt to taste.
7. Cook for 45 minutes.
8. Remove the cloves of garlic, squeeze garlic from its skin and mash.
9. Return to the pot. Salt to taste.

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Lentil Soup

This Spanish lentil soup (lentejas con chorizo in Spanish) is a great tasting dish. Try this authentic Spanish recipe at home!

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

• 1¾ cups lentils
• 1 chorizo sliced, 9 oz
• 4 cloves garlic unpeeled
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 large potato peeled and diced
• 2 carrots peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp Spanish paprika
• Olive oil for sautéing
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Wash lentils.
• Place lentils, chorizo, whole garlic cloves, carrots, and potatoes in a large pot.
• Pour water at least 3 fingers over total.
• Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Let cook uncovered stirring occasionally.
• Fry onions in a pan with olive oil until slightly browned, then add Spanish paprika.
• Add onions to the pot of lentils. Salt to taste.
• Cook for 45 minutes.
• Remove the cloves of garlic, squeeze garlic from its skin and mash.
• Return to the pot. Salt to taste.

Check out other recipes HERE.