Spanish & Portuguese · Lunch · Dinner
Spanish Lentil Stew
Lentejas
A hearty, smoky Spanish lentil stew packed with vegetables, potato and pimentón. It is comforting home cooking made lighter with just a little olive oil.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 64% · Fat 17% · Protein 19%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 1 1/2 cups300 gbrown or pardina lentils, dry
- 2 tbsp27 gextra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium150 gonion, finely chopped
- 2 medium120 gcarrots, diced
- 1 medium120 ggreen bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves9 ggarlic, minced
- 1 large180 gripe tomato, grated
- 1 medium250 gpotato, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 tspsmoked sweet paprika (pimentón)
- 1/2 tspground cumin
- 2 leavesbay leaves
- 6 cups1,500 gwater
- 1 tsp6 gsalt
- 1/4 tspblack pepper, ground
- 3 cups90 gfresh baby spinach (optional)
Steps
- 1
Rinse the lentils in a sieve under cold water and pick out any small stones.
- 2
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- 3
Add the onion, carrots and green pepper and cook gently for about 8 minutes until soft.
- 4
Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 5
Add the grated tomato and cook for 5 minutes until it thickens slightly.
- 6
Take the pot off the heat and stir in the smoked paprika and cumin so the paprika does not burn.
- 7
Add the lentils, potato, bay leaves and water, return to the heat and bring to a boil.
- 8
Lower the heat, partly cover and simmer for 35–40 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils and potato are tender; add a splash more water if it gets too thick.
- 9
Season with the salt and black pepper.
- 10
If using, stir in the spinach and simmer for 1–2 minutes until wilted.
- 11
Remove the bay leaves and let the stew rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Swap the brown lentils for green lentils, which hold their shape similarly but may need a few extra minutes of simmering.
- Use 6 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth instead of water for a deeper flavour, choosing one labelled vegan and gluten-free to keep the stew that way.
- Replace the baby spinach with chopped kale or chard, adding it a few minutes earlier so it softens.
- For a lighter version, cut the olive oil to 1 tablespoon and cook the vegetables gently with a splash of water to stop them sticking.
Storage
Cool and refrigerate within 2 hours in a covered container for up to 3 to 4 days, and reheat until steaming hot, adding a splash of water since it thickens as it sits. It can be frozen for about 3 months, though the potato may turn a little soft and grainy once thawed.
Make ahead
Chop the onion, carrots and pepper up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge, or make the whole stew a day in advance, as the flavour improves overnight; stir in the spinach when reheating.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
No major allergens in the ingredients.
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (667 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 420 kcal | 63 kcal |
| Protein | 21.4 g | 3.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 69.3 g | 10.4 g |
| of which sugars | 7 g | 1 g |
| Fiber | 12.2 g | 1.8 g |
| Fat | 8 g | 1.2 g |
| of which saturated | 1.1 g | 0.2 g |
| Sodium | 632 mg | 95 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
