Smoky Lentil Stew with Picual Olive Oil
A comforting Spanish-style lentil stew made with simple vegetables and Hacienda El Palo Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The Picual variety is perfect for this recipe: we use the 5L format for cooking and finish the dish with a drizzle from the 500ml bottle, adding the fresh aroma and distinctive character of Picual.
Ingredients:
300-350g Brown or green lentils
2 medium potatoes
2 carrots
2 tomatoes
2 medium onions
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1-2 garlic clove
Sweet paprika
Ground cumin
Black pepper
Salt
Water
Hacienda El Palo Picual EVOO – 5L
Hacienda El Palo Picual EVOO – 500ml
1. Prepare the sofrito
Heat a generous amount of Hacienda El Palo Picual – 5L format in a frying pan.
Add the onions, red pepper, yellow pepper and tomatoes. Gently sauté until the vegetables are soft. Then blend the sofrito until smooth.
2. Cook the lentils
Add the lentils, potatoes and carrots to a large pot and cover with water.
Add the garlic, sweet paprika, ground cumin, black pepper and salt directly to the pot.
Stir in the blended sofrito and simmer gently until the lentils and vegetables are tender and the broth has developed a rich consistency.
3. The finishing touch
Once served, finish with a small drizzle of Hacienda El Palo Picual EVOO – 500ml bottle. Adding it raw at the end brings out the fresh aroma and characteristic flavour of Picual.
5L for cooking. 500ml for finishing. Same Picual, two ways to enjoy it.
Why Picual?
Picual is an excellent everyday essential because its robust character works beautifully both in cooking and as a finishing oil. Its green, gently bitter and peppery notes balance the sweetness of the tomatoes and vegetables while adding freshness to the earthy lentils.
The final drizzle is important: added just before serving, it lifts the stew’s aroma and gives a simple, comforting dish a more polished finish.