Lentejas estofadas
Spanish home-style lentil stew with potato, carrot and smoked paprika
Lentejas estofadas, or lentejas a la española, is the stew that every Spanish household knows from childhood, cooked once a week from Castile to Andalusia. Small brown lentils (pardinas, ideally from Tierra de Campos in León) are simmered with a sofrito of onion, pepper, garlic and tomato, carrot, potato and bay until thick, savoury and soothing. Most families add chorizo; here smoked pimentón de la Vera brings the same smoky warmth. Serve in deep bowls with crusty bread and a few pickled guindilla peppers on the side. Chef's tip: add a splash of sherry vinegar right at the end; it lifts the earthy lentils and is what Spanish grandmothers do to make the stew taste finished.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Add 1 onion and 1 green pepper and cook for 8 minutes, until soft and lightly golden.
8 minStep 2: Add 3 cloves garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add 1 ripe tomato and cook for 4–5 minutes, until it darkens and thickens into a jammy sofrito.
5 minStep 3: Take the pot off the heat and stir in 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón de la Vera), ½ tsp hot smoked paprika and ½ tsp ground cumin; off the heat the paprika won't scorch.
Step 4: Add 10 ½ oz small brown lentils (pardinas), 2 carrots, 2 bay leaves and 5 ¾ cups water or vegetable stock and stir. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then lower to a gentle simmer. Skim off any foam.
5 minStep 5: Simmer for 15 minutes, half covered, then add 1 potato. To thicken the stew the Spanish way, 'crack' the potato: cut it partway and snap off each chunk so it has rough edges that release starch.
15 minStep 6: Simmer for 15–20 minutes more, stirring now and then, until the lentils are creamy inside and the potato is tender. If it gets too thick, add a little hot water; it should be soupy, not dry.
18 minStep 7: Season with 1 ½ tsp salt, then stir in 1 tsp sherry vinegar. Remove the bay leaves, rest for 5 minutes and serve. It tastes even better reheated the next day.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 60 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 12 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lentejas estofadas take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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