Spanish Green Lentil Soup with Chorizo and Vegetables Recipe
This soup is the Spanish answer to a hearty barley soup: lots of vegetables, green lentils and chunks of chorizo all in one pot. In Spain, similar dishes are eaten at lunchtime, especially in autumn and winter when you really need to warm up. The flavor is slightly smoky from the sausage and paprika, and the lentils make a bowl of soup filling enough to be a complete meal.
A comforting Spanish-style one-pot soup that combines smoky chorizo, green lentils and plenty of vegetables into a single, filling meal. It’s rich and warming like a hearty barley soup, but naturally packed with protein and fiber from the lentils.
Chef's tips
Rinse the lentils thoroughly to remove any dust and help them cook evenly. If your chorizo is very fatty, you can spoon off a bit of the rendered fat before adding the vegetables, but leave enough for flavor. Taste the stock before seasoning—both the chorizo and stock can be salty, so add salt at the very end.
How to serve
Serve in deep bowls with crusty bread or baguette for dipping. A simple green salad with a vinaigrette made from olive oil and red wine vinegar balances the richness of the soup. For extra heat, sprinkle with a pinch of hot smoked paprika or chili flakes just before serving.
Ingredients
- green lentils dry, rinsed in a sieve - 200 g
- chorizo cut into half-slices - 120 g
- carrot cut into half-slices - 2 pieces
- celery stalks cut into slices - 2 stalks
- potatoes peeled, cut into cubes - 300 g
- onion diced - 1 piece
- garlic finely chopped - 2 cloves
- chopped canned tomatoes half a standard can - 200 g
- vegetable or chicken stock homemade or from a cube - 1000 ml
- sweet smoked paprika for a smoky flavor - 1 teaspoon
- bay leaf for cooking - 1 piece
- olive oil for frying - 2 tablespoons
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chorizo slices and fry for 3–4 minutes, until they are lightly browned and some of the fat has rendered out.
- Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pot. Fry for 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften and take on a little color.
- Add the garlic and smoked paprika, stirring for about 30 seconds until the spices become very fragrant.
- Add the rinsed lentils and potatoes, then pour in the stock and canned tomatoes. Add the bay leaf.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid and cook for 25–30 minutes, until the lentils and potatoes are tender but not falling apart.
- Remove the bay leaf, then season the soup with salt and pepper. If it is too thick, add a little water or stock and heat briefly.
- Serve hot with a slice of bread or baguette. The soup will thicken a bit more as it sits.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This soup brings back memories of long Spanish lunches on chilly days, when a single steaming bowl was enough to keep you warm for hours. It’s also a great make-ahead dish—its flavor deepens after a night in the fridge, making it even better the next day.
