This authentic Spanish lentil stew recipe is the real deal! With chunks of chorizo and pork belly, it's incredibly flavourful and easy to make following some simple steps. Recipe from my mum, I promise is THE BEST!
Growing up in Spain, my mum would always cook this Spanish lentil stew. We say "lentejas, o las tomas o las dejas", which means "lentils, you eat them or you leave them". I was definitely an eater!
For more traditional Spanish recipes, you might also want to try this Spanish meatball recipe, this authentic Spanish gazpacho or this Spanish tortilla made healthy.
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Ingredients
- Leek sliced
- Carrot diced
- Red capsicum diced
- Green capsicum diced
- Garlic cloves (peeled but whole)
- Potatoes cut in big chunks
- Brown lentils
- Pork belly
- Chorizo
- Bay leaves
- Paprika
- Salt
- Ground pepper
- Olive oil for cooking
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make this Spanish lentil stew
Preparing this traditional Spanish lentil stew is really easy following the instructions below.
Pour a generous amount of olive oil to a large pot on medium heat. You should cover the entire base with approx. ½ cm of oil. Add the leek, green & red capsicum, carrot, salt & pepper, and stir well to combine. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the veggies are soft.
While the veggies are cooking, soak the lentils.
Rinse the lentils.
Add the lentils, garlic cloves, potatoes, chorizo, pork belly, bay leaves, paprika and salt to the pot. Fill up with cold water. The water should be around 2 fingers above all the ingredients. Stir well to combine, and cover with a lid. Cook on medium heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Check that the lentils are cooked, and if necessary cook for a bit longer.
Take out of the pot the chorizo and pork belly. In a chopping board, cut the chorizo in bite-size chunks, and the pork belly in small pieces. I recommend discarding the fat of the pork belly.
Put all the meat back into the pot, combine, and enjoy!!
Hint: After 45 minutes of cooking time, I recommend trying the lentils to see how cooked they are. Don't overcook them, or they will end up mushy. Add more water if required to adjust the amount of liquid of the stew.
Substitutions & variations
- Make it vegetarian - don't add the chorizo and pork belly. You can add a larger quantity of veggies. Other veggies like zucchini and mushroom work great too.
- Add onion - this recipe doesn't use onion, however is always a good addition.
- Meat - if you're to skip one type of meat, I recommend skipping the pork belly. The chorizo is key in the flavour of this stew.
Why this is the best lentil stew recipe!
- Full of traditional Spanish flavours, this recipe is hard to beat! The combo of chorizo, pork belly and paprika will take you to the flavours of Spain!
- Super hearty dish!
- Budget friendly recipe to feed the whole family or a crowd
- Perfect for meal prep. Lasts almost a week in the fridge.
Equipment
All you need to make this recipe is...
- Sharp knife and chopping board
- Large pot with lid
- Timber spatula
- Ladle to serve
Storage
Leftovers? Happy days! This is the kind of dish that gets better as it sits in the fridge. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
This dish is suitable for freezing without the potatoes (the texture of defrost cooked potatoes is horrible!). Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Top tip to make the best lentil and chorizo stew!
A good chorizo is key! It gives so much flavour to the stew. Source a good one from your local butcher or quality supermarket.
The cooking time of this recipe might depend on the type and quality of the lentils you use. After 45 minutes of cooking time, I recommend trying the lentils to see how cooked they are. Don't overcook them, or they will end up mushy. Add more water if required to adjust the amount of liquid of the stew.
FAQ
I recommend soaking them. This can be done while you're cooking the veggies. 20 minutes is all you need. It helps to soften them and reduce the cooking time.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
The Best Spanish Lentil Stew
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
- Category: Main course
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This authentic Spanish lentil stew recipe is the real deal! With chunks of chorizo and pork belly, it's incredibly flavourful and easy to make following some simple steps. Recipe from my mum, I promise is THE BEST!
Ingredients
3 cups of leek sliced
2 cups of carrot diced
1 cup of red capsicum diced
1.5 cups of green capsicum diced
7 garlic cloves peeled
2-3 large potatoes cut in big chunks
2 ⅓ cups of brown lentils
300 grams of pork belly
2 chorizos
2 bay leaves
½ tbsp of paprika
1-2 teaspoon salt
¼ tsp of ground pepper
Olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- Cook the veggies: Pour a generous amount of olive oil to a large pot on medium heat. You should cover the entire base with approx. ½ cm of oil. Add the leek, green & red capsicum, carrot, salt & pepper, and stir well to combine. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the veggies are soft. While the veggies are cooking, soak the lentils.
- Add all the ingredients: Rinse the lentils. Add the lentils, garlic cloves, potatoes, chorizo, pork belly, bay leaves, paprika and salt to the pot. Fill up with cold water. The water should be around 2 fingers above all the ingredients. Stir well to combine, and cover with a lid. Cook on medium heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Check that the lentils are cooked, and if necessary cook for a bit longer.
- Chop the meat: Take out of the pot the chorizo and pork belly. In a chopping board, cut the chorizo in bite-size chunks, and the pork belly in small pieces. I recommend discarding the fat of the pork belly.
- Put all the meat back into the pot, combine, and enjoy!!
Notes
The cooking time of this recipe might depend on the type and quality of the lentils you use. After 45 minutes of cooking time, I recommend trying the lentils to see how cooked they are. Add more water if required.
Leftovers? Happy days! This is the kind of dish that gets better as it sits in the fridge. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
This dish is suitable for freezing without the potatoes (the texture of defrost cooked potatoes is horrible!). Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Keywords: spanish lentil stew, the best spanish lentil stew, authentic spanish lentil stew, spanish chorizo lentil stew
Marta
súper, ñam ñam, qué pintaza!!!
★★★★★
Ester
So tasty! I really like it with the chorizo and veggies, it gives such a perfect taste 🙂
★★★★★
Joseba
Really delicious! I loved the combination of vegetables, lentils and pork.
★★★★★
Struart
This is the most flavourful lentil stew I've ever made!! My kids LOVED IT!! Very easy to make too, the type of let cook and forget kind of recipe. Will make again for sure.
★★★★★