Hearty Lentil Bowls with Chorizo and Mushrooms

Lentils are the one entrée item that I make at home almost every single week. The varieties are endless, and the lentils themselves are very budget-friendly.

I tend to cook my lentils with a bunch of vegetables and chorizo, in addition to some smoked and sweet pimentón. You would find lentils cooked in this style in regions such as Asturias, Spain.

I’ve tried using a rich bone broth or cooking stock to make this recipe, although I wasn’t particularly thrilled with the results—water works wonderfully for use as your cooking liquid here!

The following recipe provides roughly eight servings.

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Hearty Lentil Bowls with Chorizo and Mushrooms

Lentils are the one entrée item that I make at home almost every single week. The varieties are endless, and the lentils themselves are very budget-friendly.

I tend to cook my lentils with a bunch of vegetables and chorizo, in addition to some smoked and sweet pimentón. You would find lentils cooked in this style in regions such as Asturias, Spain.

I’ve tried using a rich bone broth or cooking stock to make this recipe, although I wasn’t particularly thrilled with the results—water works wonderfully for use as your cooking liquid here!

The following recipe provides roughly eight servings.

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 white onions (large dice)
• 4 carrots (cut into bite-sized chunks)
• 1 red bell pepper (cut into bite-sized chunks)
• 24 oz 1.5 lbs mushrooms, cleaned and cut into quarters
• ¼ cup white wine
• 2 links smoked chorizo (cut into quarters and finely diced)
• 6 cloves garlic (finely minced)
• 1 Tbsp sweet pimentón (pimentón dulce)
• 1 Tbsp smoked pimentón (pimentón picante)
• 2 tsp Kosher salt (or more to taste)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 2 cups dried lentils
• 6 cups 1.5 quarts water
• 1 cup Greek yogurt (for serving)
• 10 fresh chives (finely-sliced, for serving)
• A loaf of warm bread (for serving)

Instructions 

• Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
• Add the diced onions, chopped carrots, red bell pepper, and mushrooms.
• Cook the vegetables for roughly ten minutes, and then add the white wine.
• Cook for an additional twenty minutes, or until the vegetables are completely softened and the wine is partially reduced.
• Add the diced chorizo, minced garlic, pimentón, Kosher salt, garlic powder, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and chopped parsley.
• Cook the mixture for an additional five minutes.
• Add the dried lentils and water, and bring the contents to a simmer.
• Reduce the heat to low, and cook the lentils over low heat for roughly 90-120 minutes, or until they are completely tender.
• Serve the lentils hot, in bowls, with some Greek yogurt and chives on top.
• Serve with warm bread, and perhaps some softened butter.

Notes

I eat these lentils as leftovers throughout the week—they taste amazing.

Avoid skimming the fat off these lentils—after the contents cook for a while and the lentils soften, you can stir to emulsify the visible fat on top into the dish. This is going to add richness and depth to your final product.