These Spanish Lentils with Rice, known as Lentejas con Arroz, are filled with flavors, made with simple heart-healthy ingredients and done in a little over 40 minutes. Serve this dish next to a crunchy baguette and a bottle of Spanish red wine for an amazing meal.

TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: For the liquid, I used homemade vegetable broth. But you can also use chicken broth, beef broth or even water. The lentils and rice will hold for up to 3–4 days in the fridge and freeze for up to 3 months.

Spanish Lentils with Rice | Lentajas con Arroz

Watch Albert preparing this recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhnS6IRwD0I

Ingredients

FOR THE LENTILS

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 35 ml
• 1 small onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 carrots
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar 15 ml
• 1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 2.50 grams
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1.50 grams
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 cup dried green lentils 130 grams
• 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth 1050 ml
• 1 bay leaf
• sea salt & black pepper

FOR THE RICE

• 3 cups vegetable broth 720 ml
• 1 cup Spanish round rice 190 grams
• sea salt

EXTRAS

• handful chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

TO MAKE THE LENTILS

1. Heat a stock pot with a medium heat and add in the olive oil
2. While the oil is heating, finely chop the onion, roughly chop the garlic, finely chop the green bell pepper, cut the carrots (peeled) into small bite-size pieces and finely grate the tomatoes
3. Add the chopped ingredients (except the tomato) into the stock, mix continuously, after 3 to 4 minutes and the vegetables are lightly sauteed, add in the sherry vinegar, paprika and cumin, quickly mix together, then add in the grated tomato, mix and then simmer
4. In the meantime, add the dried lentils into a fine sieve and rinse under water
5. Once the grated tomato has slightly thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes, add in the rinsed lentils, along with the vegetable broth and bay leaf, raise to a high heat, once it comes to a boil, place a lid on the stock pot and lower to a low heat
   

TO MAKE THE RICE

1. While the lentils are simmering, add the broth into a sauce pan, season with sea salt and heat with a high heat
2. Once it comes to a boil add in the rice, mix together, then place a lid on the sauce pan and lower to a low-medium heat, cook until the rice is done and all the broth has been absorbed (15 minutes in my case, make sure to check package instructions on the rice you are using), then remove from the heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes with the lid, then remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork
3. Move back to the lentils, after 20 to 25 minutes and the lentils are cooked through, season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together, then remove from the heat
4. To assemble the dish, add some of the rice into a shallow bowl, then add in some of the lentils next to the rice, garnish with chopped fresh parsley inbetween the rice and lentils, enjoy!