From America’s Test Kitchen Season 14. We prefer French green lentils, or lentilles du Puy, for this recipe, but it will work with any type of lentil except red or yellow. Grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater. If Spanish-style chorizo is not available, kielbasa sausage can be substituted. Red wine vinegar can be substituted for the sherry vinegar. Smoked paprika comes in three varieties: sweet (dulce), bittersweet or medium hot (agridulce), and hot (picante). For this recipe, we prefer the sweet kind. Serves 6 to 8. Note from LKD: I followed the instructions exactly and thought it was a bit fussy, but the results were absolutely delicious, so I guess it’s worth the trouble.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (2 1/4 cups) lentils, picked over and rinsed
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large onion (1/4 = grated, 3/4 = finely chopped)
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds Spanish-style chorizo sausage, pricked with fork several times (I use one 12-oz pkg Wellshire Farms from Whole Foods)
- 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (I used 5 carrots)
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar, plus extra for seasoning (I substituted a 2:1 mixture of red wine vinegar and sherry)
- 7 cups water, plus extra as needed (I use homemade chicken feet stock to make up for the lesser amount of chorizo)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons sweet smoked paprika (smoked paprika is essential)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Place lentils and 2 teaspoons salt in heatproof bowl. Cover with 4 cups boiling water and let soak for 30 minutes. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, finely chop three-quarters of onion (you should have about 1 cup) and grate remaining quarter (you should have about 3 tablespoons).
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add chorizo and cook until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer chorizo to large plate. Reduce heat to low and add chopped onion, carrots, 1 tablespoon parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft but not brown, 25 to 30 minutes. If vegetables begin to brown, add 1 tablespoon water to pot.
- Add lentils and sherry vinegar to vegetables; increase heat to medium-high; and cook, stirring frequently, until vinegar starts to evaporate, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 7 cups water, chorizo, bay leaves, and cloves; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low; cover; and cook until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove chorizo and bay leaves from lentils. When chorizo is cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise, then cut each half into ¼-inch-thick slices.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add paprika, grated onion, garlic, and ½ teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute longer. When lentils have finished simmering, stir paprika mixture into lentils and continue to cook until flavors have blended and soup has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Return chorizo to soup along with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and heat through, about 1 minute. Season with salt, pepper, and up to 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar to taste, and serve. (Soup can be made up to 3 days in advance.)