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Saturday, January 22, 2011

Sopa de Lentejas con Chorizo (Lentil Soup w/ Chorizo)

You know how sometimes...after you've seen something delectable...you just can't get it out of head until you've tried it?  Well, this just so happens to be one of those times.  Sweet Mely from Mexico in My Kitchen shared a pot of soup the other day that just planted itself in the path of anything else that tried to make its way into my cerebral cortex.  So.  For the safety of me and those around me, I figured I'd better move it out of the forefront so that I could attend to other things.  I did things a little differently, due to what was on hand and personal cooking habits, but stayed pretty true to the way Mely made it.  Head on over to her place for the original recipe and step by step instructions.  The main difference is that I used some split red lentils in place of regular lentils.  If you do this, please note that this type only takes about ten minutes at most to cook.  Be sure to cook all of your veggies until almost soft before adding the lentils and use a fortified stock for maximum flavor development.  I wrote the recipe as though I'd used normal lentils, though...because normally...I'll do just that.  The batch of chorizo I used was pretty spicy this time, but if it hadn't been, I knew I'd be stirring in some crushed red chiles.  Also, I love finishing a hearty legume soup with a drizzle of good vinegar.
Sopa de Lentejas con Chorizo
(Lentil Soup with Chorizo)
adapted from Mexico in my Kitchen
makes 6-8 svgs.

6 oz.chorizo (fresh, Mexican)
3 tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, small dice
2 c. lentils, rinsed
7¼ cups of chicken broth, divided (plus more as needed, or use water)
small handful fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
crushed red chiles (optional)
Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Place the tomatoes and garlic in a blender with a cup of the broth. Mix until smooth and set aside.

In a large pot, cook the chorizo over medium heat until well browned, ~8 minutes. Remove some of the excess fat from the pot leaving just one tablespoon.

Add the carrots and onion; cook for about 5 minutes until soft.
 Stir in reserved tomato-garlic mixture and cook for ~5 more minutes.

Add the lentils and remaining broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the thyme and bay leaf. Partially cover and simmer gently for ~30-40 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Stir in a bit more broth or water if soup seems too dry.
Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf and season to taste w/ salt & pepper.  If you like it with a little heat, add some dried, red chile flakes to taste, as well.  Some chorizos are hotter than others, so be sure to taste before adding more heat.  Drizzle a bit of Balsamic vinegar over each serving, if desired.

*note: If using split red lentils, they take a max of 10 minutes to cook, so adjust accordingly!!
*Did you know that today is National Soup Swap Day?  Interesting fact for all of the other SoupAddicts out there... I'm sending this over to my pal Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for her weekly virtual soup swap, Souper Sundays!
SouperSundays

Would you like to comment?

  1. I'll swap this soup with you Heather. It would be so flavourful with the chorizo morsels in every slurp.

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  2. I have become OBSESSED with red lentils in soup lately. Best texture ever. And add chorizo...girl you know the way to my heart.

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  3. Looks soooooo hearty! I too am trying to sneak lentils in wherever I can these days!

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  4. Esto me recuerda al estofado español con lentejas.

    Saludos

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  5. DId you husband like it? I had since in your blog that he also cook. :)

    Mely

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  6. Mely...oh yes, he definitely like it! He was outside working on the car in single digit temps when I finished it...he came in and warmed up with a HUGE bowlful! :) Thanks again...it's so delicioso!

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  7. Oh yeah....lentils and chorizo together? That sounds great! I've never tried the red lentils but would like to, especially since they cook so quickly. Will have to look for them.

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  8. Looks delicious, Love anything with lentil in it.

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  9. I would love to swap soup with you for some of this! I have been craving lentil soup lately and I love the pairing of the red lentils with the chorizo--yum!

    Thanks for sending it to Souper Sundays--if only we could really swap, not just virtually. ;-)

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  10. This looks great - i love red lentils. So warm and cozy!

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  11. I don't think I can get tired of red lentil soups. Ever.

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  12. Lentils: check. Stock and vegetables: check. Chorizo: check. Thanks, Heather - now this hearty, warming soup will be stuck in my head until I make it.

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  13. If this doesn't have delicioso written all over it, I don't know what does. My husband, older son and I all love chorizo but it's a bit to spicy for our little ones. I recently made huevos con chorizo w 'soyrizo' it was actually really good, slightly less spicy than the meat variety. Im thinking soyrizo would be excellente in this soup.

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  14. Red lentils are my favorite! This soup would really warm you up on a cold wintry day. I may make this to share at school next week. Or I may keep it all for myself. :)

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  15. I can only imagine how well the chorizo paired with the lentils. It sounds like a flavor match made in heaven. Thank you for sharing this warm and hearty recipe with me. Have a Sunday full of laughter, love and plates of good food!

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  16. I love soup, I love lentils, I love chorizo - therefore, I love this...! 8-)

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  17. I need to visit your blog more often - you always have such great ideas that I know we would love around here!

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  18. i love so much chorizo !!
    thanks
    Cheers from France !!!
    Pierre de Paris

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  19. Yum, yum, this is what I'm making today!!!! I love lentil soup and am always looking for a new recipe. Many thanks.

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  20. Heather, the soup sounds totally awesome! I make soup almost every day, and we almost always have chorizo in the fridge (not to speak about my habit of hoarding grains, legumes and beans - it's frightening).
    So hearty and warm - it's nice that even my girls now can enjoy spicy food!
    Hugs and kisses!

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  21. What a lovely soup recipe...my kids would enjoy this one for sure :)

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