Spanish Lentil Soup

English_Rose's Note:

For a hearty warming dish try this recipe for a traditional, gutsily flavoured Spanish lentil soup.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 lb brown lentils
• 1 ½ quarts beef stock or 1 ½ quarts water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bunch fresh parsley , finely chopped
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion , chopped
• 1 head garlic , chopped
• 2 carrots , finely chopped
• 1 tomato , chopped
• ½ red pepper , chopped
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 ounces rice
• ¼ cup manzanilla sherry wine

Directions:

1. Place the lentils in a large saucepan. Add the stock or water, bay leaves and parsley. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, season with salt and freshly ground pepper and simmer, partly covered.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the onion gently until softened, around 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, carrot, tomato and red pepper. Fry gently for 5 minutes. Remove from direct heat, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, paprika and cumin.
4. Add the onion mixture and the rice to the simmering soup. Simmer the soup until the lentils are tender, around 45 minutes in all.
5. Mix in the sherry and serve.
6. For Vegetarian use only the water.