Lentil and pumpkin stew with roasted garlic (Potaje de lentejas y calabaza)

Sometimes, a stew is what you need to make your soul happy. Slow-cooked, aromatic, and warm, it is the perfect food. Here is a lovely and satisfying version.

This Spanish version is light and warming. The roasted garlic is the main flavour bomb in the stew, aromatic and lovely. The lentils are earthy and add a soft bite. The pumpkins are soft and sweet. The green peppers and smoked paprika add all the needed subtle flavour. I loved how this all came together. With slices of crisp baguette, this was the perfect dinner meal.

The New Spanish Table is one of my favourite cookbooks for tapas and other Spanish foods. I have cooked several recipes from this very hefty cookbook, and all of them, like this one, are superb. The recipes are authentic to their core, full of flavour, and delicious. As I absolutely love Spanish cuisine, particularly Catalan, I often turn to this cookbook. I highly recommend it for those who want excellent Spanish cuisine on their tables.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

20 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon oil

2 + 2 tablespoons oil

2 onions, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 bay leaf

3/4 cup green or brown lentils, soaked in 4 cups of water overnight

8 cups water, chicken stock or vegetable stock

2 long green peppers, Italian, Anaheim or other, cured and sliced

2 cups pumpkin, cubed

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

A pinch of saffron

1/2 teaspoon smoked hot paprika

2 large tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons parsley, minced

1 tablespoon sherry or apple cider vinegar

Heat the oven to 375 ° F.

Wrap the garlic and olive oil in foil, then seal it tightly. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the garlic is very soft. Remove and cool.

Heat the oil in a pot and add the onions. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onions are very soft and translucent, but not coloured. Add the thyme and bay leaf, and give the mixture a quick stir. Add the garlic

Drain and wash the lentils well. Add the lentils and fry for 2-3 minutes, coating them well in the oil. Add the water or stock and bring to a boil. Add half of the peppers and tomatoes, along with salt, pepper, and saffron, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the pumpkin and cook for another 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the remaining two tablespoons of oil and the remaining peppers, and fry on low heat until the peppers are tender. Add the paprika and give the ingredients a quick turn.

Add the tomatoes and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have broken down and you have a sauce.

Add the sauce to the stew and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Check both the lentils and the pumpkin; they should both be cooked but retain a soft bite. Taste for paprika and salt, and adjust as needed.

Serve hot with a crusty bread to sop up the stew.