A Congenial Dinner

This week I bought a package of spicy bulk chicken chorizo at Sprouts, and just watching the news about the winter storms in the rest of the country convinced me to make some of it into this comforting lentil stew.

Lentil Stew with Chicken Chorizo

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1/2 pound bulk chicken chorizo
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or bouillon
8 ounces (1/2 bag) lentils
1 large bay leaf
15 whole cloves
pepper and salt to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion and carrot, stirring occasionally, until they soften.  Crumble in the chorizo and brown it.  Add the broth, lentils, bay leaf and cloves.  Skim off any foam that develops.  Simmer until the lentils are fully cooked, about 30-40 minutes, adding more water if needed.  About halfway through the cooking time, taste and add pepper and, if necessary, salt as desired.

This recipe also works with canned lentils (shorten the cooking time accordingly).

“Lentils are friendly—the Miss Congeniality of the bean world.” ~Laurie Colwin