Rainy day lentil and chorizo stew

Early spring is a tease. A stretch of beautiful sunny days hinting of summer suddenly give way to gray, chilly days of off-and-on rain. It was on one of those days, and I needed warm comfort food. I  also wanted to "iron up" in preparation for a blood donation appointment, so lentil stew was on the menu.

I started with this From a Chef's Kitchen recipe for Soupy Spanish Lentils with Chorizo, and modified it to suit the contents of my own cupboard and freezer -- and yard. Yes, the infamous dandelions make an appearance.

Lentil and Chorizo Stew

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 large link of fresh chorizo sausage (I cut mine in half so it would fit easier in the pot)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped (we keep frozen sliced celery handy for impromptu soups)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• half a large red bell pepper, diced
• 4 to 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups brown lentils
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• juice of half a lemon
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• a handful of fresh greens (dandelion, spinach, chard, whatever)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Place sausage in the pa
   n and cook 6 to 7 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate. (Sausage will not be cooked all the way through at this point.)
2. Place onion in the hot fat. Reduce heat to medium and cook 7 to 8 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add the celery and bell pepper and cook 4 to 5 minutes more. 
   
   
3. Add the garlic, stir until fragrant.
4. Add 4 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the lentils, smoked paprika and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil.
5. Slice chorizo into 1/4 to 1/3-inch slices. Add to the pot with the lentils.
6. Reduce heat, cover slightly and simmer 30 to 45 minutes or until lentils are tender, adding additional chicken broth as needed to maintain a "soupy" consistency. 
   
   

   

   I had the red wine vinegar and tomato paste ready to go for the original recipe but ultimately didn't use them.

   
   
7. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, tomatoes and dandelion greens, and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. The soup will be hot enough on its own to quickly wilt the greens.

The original recipe also included Manchego toast. I went for garlic bread from the freezer.

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