Lentejas
A Spanish lentil stew of brown lentils, onion, carrot, pepper and paprika, finished with a splash of vinegar.
Photograph credit: Vegan lentils / Lentejas viudas by Lablascovegmenu · CC BY 2.0 · Flickr
Most home versions come out bland, and the fix is the paprika and the vinegar. Smoked paprika adds depth and warmth, and a spoonful of vinegar at the end lifts the flavour of the lentils.
Brown or green lentils hold their shape in long cooking, which suits a stew like this one. Red lentils break down into a purée and would turn the dish to soup. Rinse them and check for stones. Do not salt the lentils early. Salt added at the start can toughen the skins, so add it near the end.
The vegetables are cooked slowly in olive oil to start. Onion, carrot and pepper soften and sweeten, and that sweetness balances the earthy lentils.
Simmer gently for about 30 minutes. The stew should be thick enough to eat with a spoon but still a little brothy. In Spain, the dish is often served with a side of cured meat. For a meat-free version, a drizzle of good olive oil at the end is enough.
Lentejas: Step by Step
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Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion, carrots and pepper for 8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and paprika for 1 minute.
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Add the lentils, bay and water and bring to the boil.
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Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are tender.
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Remove the bay. Stir in the salt and vinegar and serve.
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Worth Getting Right
- Add the salt towards the end.
- Keep the simmer gentle so the lentils stay whole.
- Add a splash of water if the stew thickens too much.
- Taste the vinegar before adding more.
Changing the Recipe
- An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.
Pairs Well With
Crusty bread · Chorizo · Fried egg · Green salad
Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Espinacas a la Catalana, Judias Verdes con Jamon.
Leftovers and Storage
Keeps in the fridge for 4 days. It thickens as it stands, so add water when reheating.
Lentejas Nutrition Facts
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
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