A typical Spanish meal, part I

Today I have the first of a series of two very Spanish dishes that together will make a delicious very Spanish meal. They are for sure two of my favorite dishes since I was little, as my mom makes both of them often and really delicious. They are lentils soup with chorizo (lentejas con chorizo) and Spanish potato omelet (tortilla de patata).

Let's start with the lentil soup, as it's always a first course. I LOVE lentils. I make lentils so often that Scott calls me Grandma Lentils. I even made my own curried lentils recipe, but that's not the one I bring today. Today's recipe is the very typical Spanish lentil soup, with chorizo and Spanish smoked paprika, a.k.a. pimentón. 

The recipe is my mom's, although I adapted it a little bit. I added more carrots, as I really like the sweetness that they give to this stew. I didn't add pork belly fat although my mom usually does and it's really delicious, so feel free to add it if you want some extra calories and flavor. They are also great with some other veggies, like celery, green peppers, leeks or grated potato. The greatness of this dish is that it is super easy and adaptable. All you have to do is combine the ingredients in the beginning and let it cook. Yay for easy recipes!

Lentil soup with chorizo

Adapted from my mom

1/2 onion, chopped

4 carrots, sliced

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove
1/2 Spanish chorizo* cut in 1 inch thick slices

10oz / 300g brown lentils, rinsed

3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp flour

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

In a big pot put the lentils, onion, carrots, bay leaf, garlic and chorizo. Add 1 quart / 1 liter of water and bring to a boil. Cover and lower the heat. Let it simmer for 1 to 2 hours (this depends on the type of lentil and the water), until the lentils are cooked and soft. Add more water, if needed, to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

In a small pan heat the oil. Lower the heat and add the flour, stirring well for about 2 minutes, until slightly toasted. Stir in the paprika and rapidly remove from heat, so the paprika doesn't burn. Pour this mixture into the lentils pot and stir.  Serve warm and enjoy.

* Spanish chorizo, like Palacios, can be found in some American grocery stores and online in Amazon and La Tienda.

And in the next post, a delicious tortilla de patata!