Spanish Chorizo Lentil Stew

Thirty weeks. The math from here is different from the math on the other end of a pregnancy—you count down instead of up, the weeks shrinking toward the event. Ten weeks more or less. Maybe less; Liam came a day past his due date and Nora could come earlier or later or exactly when predicted and I have no reliable information except that she's moving constantly and that the kicks are strong and she is, by all available evidence, ready to make an entrance when the moment arrives.

Sean took Liam to a Bruins game on Saturday—their first game together, which has been planned since September—and I had the apartment to myself for four hours. I cleaned the bathroom at a leisurely pace. I made a pot of soup. I read for thirty minutes without interruption. I was asleep on the couch by three. The nap lasted an hour and forty minutes and was the best sleep I'd had in two weeks. Sean came home with Liam asleep on his shoulder and a satisfied look of a man who has taken a toddler to a sporting event and both survived with positive associations.

Liam's report: "hockey puck, black circle, slide fast, loud loud loud." That's the Bruins game as seen by a twenty-one-month-old. I find this an adequate summary.

Lamb and chickpea stew on Sunday, Moroccan spices, the kind that takes two hours and makes the apartment smell like somewhere else. I made enough for three days. Liam ate it over couscous and referred to the chickpeas as "round things" which is accurate if limited and which I accepted without correction.

That Sunday stew — the kind that fills every room and makes the apartment smell like somewhere you’ve never been but feel certain you’d love — is the whole point. I wasn’t going anywhere at thirty weeks, but I could make the kitchen smell like I might. This chorizo lentil stew has the same warmth I was after: smoked paprika, cumin, the low simmer that rewards patience and also napping. It lasts three days, it gets better on day two, and if your toddler calls the lentils “little flat things,” that is an acceptable review.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 oz Spanish chorizo, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups green or brown lentils, rinsed
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Crusty bread or couscous, for serving

Instructions

Brown the chorizo. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add chorizo slices and cook 3–4 minutes, turning once, until lightly browned and the fat has rendered. Transfer to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pot.
Soften the vegetables. Add onion and carrots to the pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and bell pepper and cook 2 minutes more.
Bloom the spices. Stir in smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
Build the stew. Add diced tomatoes (with juices), lentils, chicken broth, and bay leaf. Stir to combine. Return the chorizo to the pot.
Simmer. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover partially and simmer 30–35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender and the stew has thickened. Remove bay leaf.
Season and serve. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with crusty bread or over couscous.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spanish Chorizo Lentil Stew — The Pot That Filled the Apartment with Somewhere Else