Spanish Style Lentils With Turkey Sausage
Spanish style lentils, commonly referred to as "lentejas", are a staple in Spain. They are PACKED with flavor thanks to the combination of garlic, onion and smokey sweet paprika. The traditional recipe is made with Spanish chorizo which has its own pungent flavor palate and combines oh so beautifully with stewed lentils and paprika. BUT you know how we do it around here... gotta keep it healthy for you!Lentils are packaged with nutrition. Some studies have found they reduce your blood pressure MORE than beans, chickpeas or peas. They are filled with fiber and protein which makes them a great option for vegetarians(just leave out the sausage!)This recipe is quite easy and can come together in under 1 hour. Curl up with a bowl of this and you are in for a treat. This recipe yields a gigantic pot of lentils.
Ingredients
- 1 White onion, finely diced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, finely diced
- 2 Carrots, chopped
- 4 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Whole Tomato, chopped
- 1.5 tsp Smoked Paprika ideally you would use spanish paprika, also known as pimenton, but if you cannot find it then get smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup Uncooked lentils
- 2 Small potatoes, cut into small cubes
- 6 oz Smoked Turkey Kielbasa, Sliced optional
- 5 cups Broth i prefer beef broth but if you are vegetarian/vegan you can use vegetable
Instructions
- Heat a large pot with some olive oil on medium heat.
- Add in your onion, bell pepper, carrot and kielbasa. Lightly sautee for about 5 minutes.
- Add minced garlic, chopped tomatoes, smoked paprika and salt and saute for another 2 minutes.
- Add the lentils and potatoes and mix everything together until well combined.
- Add broth and bay leaves and stir until well combined. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer.
- Cook for 35 minutes until the broth has reduced. It shouldnt be a soup but it should be quite liquidy. More like a stew.