Daddy's Lentil & Chorizo Soup ~ The Blonde B

Don't underestimate the comforting nostalgia found in food.

I used to have lentejas, or lentil soup in English, at school but I didn't particularly rave about them back then. Then Daddy made this recipe at home and BANG I was immediately transported back to my 17 year old school-uniform-and-knee-high-socks-wearing days.

The arrival of Autumn is upon us which means snuggles in front of the fire in our onesies eating a big bowl of hearty soup. It also marks the start of a new chapter in my life. I'm packing up, moving out and starting a new job in England.

So I'm taking this recipe with me for when I'm missing Spain and I literally can't feel my fingers and my toes and the thought of sun warming my skin seems impossible.

It might not be the exact same Spanish recipe... but it's Daddy's and it's pretty darn good!

To make enough for four (with leftovers) you'll need:

Olive Oil

1 onion, chopped

1 head of garlic, peeled and crushed

190g Chorizo sausage, 1 inch slices, you can add as much as you like!

1 & 1/2 mugs of white wine

250g dried lentils, you can use pre-cooked ones too

2 chicken stock cubes

1 tbsp Pimentón Dulce or sweet paprika

3-4 mugs of boiling water, depending on how thick you want it

Heat up a healthy amount of Olive Oil in a deep pan, stir in your onion and let them simmer until soft. Cook the whole soup on a gentle heat.

Meanwhile, peel and crush a whole bulb of garlic and chop up your chorizo into 1 inch slices, roughly about half the size of your thumb.

Add the crushed garlic and let the onions soak up all the flavours. Add your chorizo sausage and let it cook for a few minutes. Watch how the chorizo stains the onions red.

Add the wine, lentils, sweet paprika and bring to the boil.

When it reaches boiling point add your water. If your soup is getting too thick, because lentils naturally expand, add more water until the lentils cook through and are soft or until it reaches boiling point again.

Alternatively you can use ready-cooked lentils but be warned you must only add these in right at the end, after adding the water because they will go to mush if not!

Pour it in to bowls, jump in to your onesie, wriggle into the sofa and get stuck in.