Lentejas Con Chorizo Recipe Simple Spanish Lentil Soup

SOPA DE LENTEJAS: SPANISH LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Begin by sorting through lentils to remove any debris or rocks.
• Rinse dry lentils under cold water.
• Place lentils into a medium saucepan and cover with water. Soak lentils for 1 hour.
• Pour olive oil into a large pot over medium heat. When oil is hot, add vegetables and cumin and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add pork and chorizo and sauté for 3 more minutes, making sure meat doesn't stick.
• Add just enough water to pot to completely cover vegetables and meat. Bring water to a boil.
• Drain lentils and add to pot.
• Bring back to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until lentils are cooked, about 1 hour. Check pot every 15 to 20 minutes. Add additional water if/when needed.
• When lentils are fully cooked, season soup with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve in bowls with rustic bread on the side.

SOPA DE LENTEJAS (ANDALUCIAN LENTIL SOUP)

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the bacon just until it starts to brown a bit, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the olive oil, onion, and bell pepper; cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, sausage, and bay leaf; cook about 4 minutes. Add lentils and water (water should be about an inch deeper than the level of the lentils). Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, until lentils are just cooked, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Put the potatoes into the soup and continue simmering until potatoes are cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.

LENTEJAS CON CHORIZO RECIPE (SIMPLE SPANISH LENTIL SOUP)

Steps:

• Rinse your lentils and look them over carefully for pebbles or debris.
• Since cooking the lentils is what takes the longest, start by covering them with cold water or stock and bringing to a simmer.
• Add the celery, aromatics, and ham bone and simmer as you prepare the sofrito (the lentils should take about 40 minutes to cook, though this depends on the variety - taste them often so that they don't overcook and become mushy).
• Cut 3/4 of the chorizo into rounds, place them in a heavy frying pan and turn up the heat. Sear the chorizo on each side, allowing the fat to render.
• Remove the chorizo from the pan and reserve for later. Mince the uncooked 1/4 of the chorizo for later use as well.
• In the pan with the chorizo grease, add 1/4 cup of olive oil over a medium heat
• Add the onions and cook slowly until starting to brown (about 7 minutes)
• Add the carrots and cook another 5 minutes or so, until everything is cooked through and golden
• Add the garlic for another couple of minutes
• Add the tomatoes, minced chorizo, tomato paste and roasted pepper paste
• Cook over medium heat, stirring, until completely reduced to a paste (sofrito)
• Add this sofrito mixture to the lentils, and simmer together until all of the flavors are well combined. Taste the lentils often to make sure you don't overcook them.
• Once cooked through, remove the aromatics and the celery from the pot and let the soup sit, uncovered, for as long as you can wait (the longer, the better combined the flavors will be)
• Serve hot and top with the seared chorizo and some pickled peppers if you can get them!
• Enjoy your homemade lentejas con chorizo!
• Tip: if you like a thicker version, remove a couple of ladles of lentils before adding the sofrito (make sure they're cooked through) and run this through the blender until smooth. Add back to the soup for a thicker version.