Nobody can say no to a bowl of this hearty lentil stew with pancetta. Comforting and full of nutritious ingredients, this lentil stew has just the right amount of smokiness to make you enjoy every spoonful.
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If you love chunky, thick stews that can warm you from the inside out, you are likely to fall in love with this lentil stew with pancetta. Made with green lentils, this recipe only takes about 15 minutes of hands-on time, and you can then leave the pot to do its business, only stirring a bit from time to time.
What I like most about this recipe is that you can easily turn it into a lentil soup with pancetta instead, simply by upping the amount of chicken stock. It's very easy to adjust the liquid level, so you can enjoy a thick lentil soup if you want.
It's an incredibly versatile recipe that you can adjust your preferences, and can quickly become the only winter lentil soup/stew you'll ever need.
What kind of pancetta works in this stew?
I typically use unsmoked pancetta for this recipe since there's already smoked paprika in the stew, but you can use a smoked variety if you like a good amount of smokiness.
Pancetta is the Italian version of bacon and is typically made from pork belly side that has been seasoned with salt and lots of pepper. Pancetta is then cured either with just salt or sometimes with other spices and aromatics.
You can find both cubed pancetta and thin slices of pancetta that are typically eaten like prosciutto. For this recipe, you should use pancetta cubes that can be cooked in the same manner as bacon.
Pancetta vs bacon
If you can't find pancetta, you can simply use bacon instead. The main difference between pancetta and bacon is that pancetta is often cured with aromatics and is typically not smoked, even though you can find smoked versions as well. On the other hand, pork belly is brined and then smoked to make bacon, without the use of any spices.
Recipe notes & tips
- If you want the lentil stew to be more like a soup, use 1.5 - 1.7 litre of chicken stock. Keep in mind that the lentils will continue to absorb liquid as they cool down. The rule of thumb is to cook until the green lentils are soft and the liquid has absorbed to your liking.
- This recipe would also work well with brown lentils, but red lentils are not a good idea because they will turn too mushy.
- You can serve it with some fresh crusty bread, garlic bread, or as is. It all depends on whether you want it to be more of a chunky lentil soup.
- If you don't like smoked paprika, you can substitute it with regular paprika.
- I like to use a mix of Italian herbs for convenience, but you can use a combination of dried rosemary, oregano, and thyme instead.
If you liked this hearty lentil stew with pancetta recipe, have a look at some of my other one-pot easy dinner recipes:
White Minestrone Soup with Barley and Beans
Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers with Pearl Barley
30-Minute Vegan Chickpea and Spinach Curry
Looking for more delicious inspiration? Follow Skinny Spatula on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Hearty Lentil Stew with Pancetta
Nobody can say no to a bowl of this hearty lentil stew with pancetta. Comforting and full of nutritious ingredients, this lentil stew has just the right amount of smokiness to make you enjoy every spoonful.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 100 g (3.5 oz) pancetta, cut into small pieces
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 celery stick, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 200 ml (1 ¼ cup) crushed tomatoes
- 1.2 litre (6 cups) chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaves
- 300 g (10.5 oz) green lentils
Instructions
- In a heavy bottom pot, heat the olive oil and fry the pancetta bits for 4-5 minutes until slightly crisp.
- Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the lentils, crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning and bay leaves. Give everything a good stir and bring to a boil. When it's starting to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes with a lid on, stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes, take the lid off and continue to simmer for 10 minutes or until the lentils are done to your liking.
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with some crusty bread or as is.
Notes
If you want the soup to be less like a stew and more like a soup, use 1.5 - 1.7 litre of chicken stock. Keep in mind that the lentils will continue to absorb liquid as they cool down. The rule of thumb is to cook until the green lentils are soft and the liquid has absorbed to your liking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 290Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 377mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 6gSugar: 7gProtein: 13g
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
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