Nourishing Spanish Lentils Recipe

Some dishes have the power to transport us to different moments of our lives, and if there is a dish that always takes Spaniards back to their childhood, it is Spanish lentils. 

The classic Spanish lentils Recipe is that recipe that all grandmothers have their own version of and have passed from generation to generation making it become a staple of Andalusian cuisine. 

If you want to learn how to make lentils, what ingredients you can substitute if you want to make this recipe, and other tips on storing and serving this Spanish dish, then continue reading this article.

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Background of the Dish

This Spanish lentils Recipe is one of the oldest recipes since it has its origins in ancient Egypt. Once they began to trade with the coasts of southern Spain, lentils became very important.

Lentils had the advantage of being cheap, easy to cook, and also full of nutrients, so this Spanish lentil recipe was also made when people were sick and needed to get better.

As you will see in this article, this is a pretty easy lentil recipe, and in just a matter of time, it will become one of your favorites that you will not be able to stop making, especially on cold or rainy days of the year. 

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Things You’ll Need for Spanish Lentils Recipe

As with other lentil recipes, to make this one you will only need a large pot, lentils, and water, the rest of the ingredients are replaceable so there are no excuses not to make it.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (400 grams) of soaked lentils
• 1 chorizo
• 1 potato
• carrot
• spring onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 slices of bread
• 4 tablespoons of white wine
• Water
• olive oil
• Salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 15-18 cumins
• saffron
• parsley

How to Make Spanish Lentils Recipe – Step by Step Guide

1. To make this lentil stew recipe, wash the lentils with water, and put them in a pan with a pinch of salt and a splash of oil. 
2. After that, add the green pepper, the carrot, and the halved spring onion, in addition to the peeled garlic cloves, the bay leaves, a few strands of saffron, the cumin, and the chopped chorizo. 
3. Then cook everything for about 20 minutes over medium heat. 
4. Up next, peel the potato, cut it into small cubes and add them with the wine and the chorizos to the pot. Mix everything and cook for another 15 or 20 minutes over medium heat. Cut the bread into pieces and fry it in a pan with a little olive oil. 
5. For the final step, plate the lentils adding a little oil accompanied in addition to the fried bread. Add the chopped parsley and serve your Spanish stew hot.

Substitution of Ingredients

If you want to make this lentil stew, but don’t have every ingredient listed, don’t worry, you can make a lot of replacements and still get an amazing dish to eat.

The only irreplaceable ingredients are the lentils, besides that, you can add other vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, other kinds of onions or peppers, and substitutions in the seasonings.

Try our Spanish sweet potato recipe this fall and celebrate Halloween just like the Spaniards do.

You can also turn this into a vegan stew if you remove the chorizo, and add a vegan replacement or just more vegetables. 

You might also want to make the Spanish lentils recipe a bit spicy and you can do that by adding some spicy chorizo or a half spoon of chili flakes.

Lentils are very versatile and there are plenty of recipes to try if you like them, such as the Spanish lentil soup or lentil soup with ham.

Tips on Serving Spanish Lentils

As well as other brown lentil recipes, you can make this Spanish lentils recipe and enjoy this dish at any time of the day, for lunch or dinner. 

Lentil dishes usually shine on their own, especially this Spanish lentil stew. So the best thing you can do is to serve it on its own, without any side dish, otherwise, it would be too much food.

The secret is to serve it while fresh because the ingredients will lose their flavor after you’ve refrigerated it.

Also, add a lot of freshly chopped chives on top, maybe a blob of creme fresh and eat it with the bread of your choice.

If you want to have a real Spanish experience while eating the Spanish lentils recipe, we recommend you to have a glass of wine next to the lentils stew.

The best options would be the Spanish Tempranillo or Santa Barbara Syrah.

Related articles: 

• Spanish pork stew
• Spanish seafood stew
• Spanish chicken stew
• Spanish oxtail Stew

How to Store Spanish Lentils

Every Lentejas recipe is very easy to make, and the best part about them is that the storing process is pretty simple. 

If you want to, you can freeze your lentejas for up to 30 days, and the flavor will still be great.

Just make sure to store them in a covered container to prevent the smells from reaching your food. Then let it thaw overnight in your fridge once you are ready to eat them. 

You can also store them for up to 3 days in your fridge, in a covered container. 

Recipe Card: Spanish Lentils Recipe

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