I’ve been making a conscientious effort to reduce the amount of red meat my family eats, and I love this recipe for Lentils with Chorizo and Carrots that uses just a bit of chorizo and a whisper of bacon to lend enormous flavor to the dish. The rest of the flavor comes from the vegetables and wine, which marry beautifully with the earthy flavors of the lentils.
Lentils with Chorizo and Carrots
While the looks might be different than your average stew, Lentils with Chorizo and Carrots is definitely as good as any traditional stew, and I think of it as a just as delicious, lentil version of Boeuf Bourguignon. It’s a deeply flavored and rich melange of lentils and vegetables, earthy, a little winey, enhanced by the chorizo and thyme.
About Lentils with Chorizo and Carrots:
Lentils with Chorizo and Carrots have been a family favorite for years, and even as small children, my kids loved it. Definitely not a pretty dish, it’s not only homey, but also a little homely.
One taste, though, and you’ll forgive what it lacks in the looks department. The recipe is adapted from the Michelin Star restaurant Pied à Terre in London. I checked; it’s no longer on the menu. Luckily, the recipe was published in either Bon Appétit (my guess) or Gourmet, and I copied it to a card.
I’m always looking for recipes that are doable for home cooks, although this takes a good bit of time and effort. It’s perfect to toss together on a fall or a wintry day when you’re puttering around the house. The smell of it cooking alone is enough to transport you to a French restaurant – in your own kitchen, that is.
Home Made Chorizo
Making Lentils with Chorizo and Carrots:
You’ll need pearl onions, which are pretty easy to find in the produce department, but I generally use frozen in my stews…it’s so much easier, and they’re a bargain in the frozen food section.
If the fresh Chorizo is costly or unavailable in your area, make your own! It’s easy with a food processor, fancy blender, or grinder. That link takes you to my recipe.
This is put together much like any stew. Basically, it’s a four-part process:
- Chorizo is added first, and removed, and then bacon is browned and set aside with the chorizo. Mushrooms are browned and added to the bacon mixture.
- Into the now-empty pot goes some oil, then the base vegetables of diced carrots, celery, and onion. Garlic is added, then tomato paste goes in, and it cooks for a minute. Wine is added and reduced.
- The herbs, chicken stock, and lentils are added and simmered, lid ajar, until nearly ready, about 30 minutes.
- Finally, in go the reserved chorizo, bacon, and mushrooms along with pearl onions. All simmers away until you have basically Lentil Bourguignon.
Don’t forget to steam and butter the carrots and make whatever you’re serving with (I suggest potatoes or polenta)
Make Ahead:
- To prepare the night before, either make and refrigerate up to three days, then reheat. Always refrigerate stews until cold and then add the lid. A little extra liquid might need to be added.
- Or, even better, make the stew up to the point the chorizo, bacon, and mushrooms are added back in, and refrigerate both mixtures separately up to three days. When ready to finish, heat the stew. When warm, add in the chorizo, bacon, and mushrooms. Don’t forget the pearl onions.
Serve Lentils with Chorizo and Carrots With:
While I’m sure this was meant as a main dish by itself, I love to serve it over my Best Company Mashed Potatoes or polenta. I believe the pairing originally was a happy accident – I often try to entice the kids into eating something new by serving it with something they already love.
Because of the abundance of vegetables in the lentils, I generally don’t serve another side, but if you’d like some color on the plate, some simple Roasted Brussels Sprouts would be a good complement. You can’t go wrong with serving bread or rolls as a side, too.
Best Company Mashed Potatoes
Leftover Lentils with Chorizo and Carrots:
Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for three to four days. This works best if cooled before covering. Reheat stovetop or in the microwave.
Freeze in package sizes that will be best for your family. Thaw overnight or reheat from frozen, either stovetop or microwave. Add a little liquid if needed.
Other Lentil Recipes You Might Like:
- Naf Naf Lentil Soup – bright and tangy, and absolutely crave-worthy. This soup is fast and easy.
- Red Lentil Dip with a Spanish Flair – a seriously delish dip, and one of the lowest performing (fewest views) on my site. Show it some love and click over!
Red Lentil Dip with a Spanish flair.
Variations:
- None of the vegetables need to be exact in this recipe, either in quantity or type; don’t stress over it, just make it your own.
- Instead of Chorizo, another sausage can be used, Italian sausage, for example
- If the sausage is changed, change up the herbs. Italian seasoning with Italian sausage, etc.
Saving Money on Groceries:
What you pay for groceries depends on not just WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.
- The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Think beyond the occasion & use the opportunity to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
- If available, take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality. Be selective when shopping there.
The best way to save money on this or any recipe is to have a well-stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer full of sale-priced items.
Bacon:
- Know your regular, good sale, and rock bottom pricing. Stock up at rock bottom, usually about half price, and usually before a holiday. Not being brand loyal gives more opportunities to save. Bacon freezes well and takes up little room.
- Discount stores like Aldi or Lidl have great pricing, but beware of the cheapest bacon. As a rule, buyers’ clubs have better quality at a low, not necessarily the cheapest price.
Chorizo:
- For a long time, chorizo was hard to come by in many areas of the country, so I learned to make my own fresh Chorizo. It’s easier to find now, and often on sale for less than $1.00 for an 8-ounce package.
- Shop around and freeze if you find it at a stellar price. It will often be at a low around Cinco de Mayo, and you may find it at a Latin American market for a better price than the grocery.
Mushrooms:
- Watch sales, especially before holidays. Discount store’s everyday pricing rivals grocery stores’ best sales. Buyers’ clubs may not be cheapest, but the quality is outstanding.
- The bargain is the button; its nutritional value is nearly identical to its pricier cousins.
- Whole mushrooms keep better. Poke or cut several holes in the package and wrap; place upside down in the fridge.
Wine:
- Sign up for emails, watch flyers, and shop the sales, including the bargain bins. There are two major sales in the industry, fall and spring. Stock up. Additional discounts usually apply when buying in bulk; if not offered, ask.
- Talk to the wine person, consultant, guide, or sommelier. A good one will ask your price range, what you’re making, and direct you to options you may not have thought of or known about.
- Cooking is an ideal way to use a partial bottle; store in a small, airtight jar until needed.
Lentils:
There are three kinds easily found in the US: green, brown, and red. This recipe is best with green, but brown will do in a pinch; they may need less time.
- At the grocery, look for them at a low price before or after any holiday where ham is served. Sales are usually unadvertised.
- Markets and discount grocery stores (availability at the discount stores is sporadic) are great options and might even beat the grocery store sales prices.
Basic Veggies:
- Basic veggies like onions, celery, and carrots are some of the cheapest. For best pricing, try the discount stores. Bags are generally better deals than loose.
- Store onions in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place, away from potatoes. No need to wrap celery in pricy foil; if bagged, just slip a produce bag over the top, and if not use two produce bags, and store in a drawer in the fridge away from vegetables and fruits that produce ethylene gas. Carrots need ventilation – poke a few extra holes in the bag, place them at right angles to any grooves in the produce drawer. Turn them now and then. Again, keep away from vegetables & fruits that produce ethylene gas, which will turn carrots bitter
I hope this recipe for Lentils with Chorizo and Carrots serves you as well as it has our family over the years! It’s a bit of a labor of love and one I pull my little chopper out for, for sure. Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to comment, and I hope to see you here again!
Mollie
Lentils with Chorizo and Carrots
Lentils with Chorizo and Carrots
This is a lentil version of Boeuf Borgignon. So very good!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: main dish pork
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 12 whole pearl onions (may use frozen – about 2/3rds cup)
- 4 ounces of bulk chorizo (fresh, not cured)
- 4 slices of bacon, diced 1/2 inch
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 6 to 8 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup carrots, finely chopped (about 3 medium)
- 1 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped (about 2 medium)
- 1 cup celery, finely chopped (about 2 stalks)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, left whole
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock or water (plus more if needed)
- 1 cup lentils (preferably green but brown in a pinch; brown tends to become mushy, so be careful when cooking; they may take less time)
- 8 baby carrots, or 4 large carrots, cut into 3 to 4-inch sections (cut the wide sections in half lengthwise – the baby carrots referred to here are actual baby carrots, not the strange prebagged ones in the store)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
If using fresh pearl onions, simmer five minutes in a small saucepan, drain, and peel. Set aside. If using frozen, set aside to thaw.
In a Dutch oven, break up chorizo and saute until cooked through. Remove to a plate. Add bacon and saute until nearly crisp. Remove to a plate with chorizo, and drain and discard all but about a tablespoon of the drippings.
Add a tablespoon of olive oil to pan, and saute mushrooms until tender and well browned. (Add a little water if it appears dry, then cook until the water has evaporated.) Add the mushrooms to the chorizo and bacon.
Add remaining olive oil to pan and add the diced carrots, onions, and celery, saute for five to eight minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook through for a minute or so. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute or two until it loses its bright red color. Add wine and stir, bring to a simmer, and reduce to about 1/2 the volume.
Add the bay leaf, thyme, and chicken stock, along with the lentils, and cook, leaving the lid slightly ajar. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes, stirring gently now and then.
After about 30 minutes, add the mushrooms, chorizo, and bacon back to the pot, along with the pearl onions. (Reserve some of the bacon as a garnish if desired.) Check to make certain there is enough liquid, and simmer another ten to fifteen minutes until the lentils are soft. There should be just a bit of the cooking liquid left in the pan.
While the lentils are finishing cooking, pan steam the baby or whole carrots to desired tenderness, drain, and add a bit of butter to the carrots.
Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if desired. Serve over mashed potatoes or polenta, with the steamed carrots to the side.
Notes
Nutrition for Lentils:
Cal 285; cal from fat 34%; tot fat 12g; sat fat 3g; chol 19mg; sod 423mg; pot 475mg; tot carb 14g; fib 4g; sug 4g; prot 10g
