Latin American · lunch, dinner
Lentejas a la Chilena (Chilean Lentil Stew)
Video by Alvaro Barrientos Montero on YouTube · Open on YouTube
- Vegan if you leave out the cheese, hard-boiled eggs and lean beef
- Vegetarian with a swap for the cheese and lean beef
- Gluten-free ingredients
- Dairy-free if you leave out the cheese
- Nut-free
Contains: Egg, Milk. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
Lentils give plant protein, about 15 g of fibre per serve, iron, zinc and folate, with just a little lean beef for flavour. Five sofrito vegetables plus pumpkin add beta-carotene and vitamin C to a cheap, filling pot.
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Ingredients 20
Method
Tap a time to watch that step in the video.
- Soak the lentils in cold water for about 4 hours (optional; unsoaked lentils just need longer), then drain and discard the water. 1:00
- Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. If using beef, brown it with the garlic, oregano, bay, paprika and cumin. Without meat, simply start the spices and garlic in the oil. 5:11
- Add the onion, zucchini, capsicum, carrot and celery and fry over high heat for about 12 minutes to build a deep sofrito. When it starts to stick, splash in a little boiling water and scrape up the browned bits. 5:37
- Add the lentils and pumpkin with just enough boiling water to cover. Return to the boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, adding a little water only if it looks dry. 6:46
- Stir in the rice with a little more water if needed, cover and cook 10–12 minutes more. Lightly crush the pumpkin so the stew is creamy rather than soupy, and season with salt. 8:09
- Serve very hot in deep bowls topped with slices of hard-boiled egg, parsley or coriander, a little grated cheese and, if you like, a few drops of olive oil. 9:00
Tip. Soak the lentils about 4 hours first if you can (not counted in the time). Leave out the beef for a vegetarian stew; the cook says potato can replace the rice. Freezes well; thin with water when reheating.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 8
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 41%
- Protein 28%
- Fat 31%
For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here
Lower-carb idea. About 54% of the 35 g of net carbs come from the dried brown lentils. To cut carbs, try a smaller portion with extra leafy or other non-starchy vegetables.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Folate High79%
316 µg a serve, mostly from dried brown lentils (90%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Iron High37%
6.7 mg a serve, mostly from dried brown lentils (77%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Omega-3 High37%
0.6 g a serve, mostly from vegetable or sunflower oil (77%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Vitamin A High35%
313 µg a serve, mostly from butternut pumpkin (45%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Zinc High34%
3.8 mg a serve, mostly from dried brown lentils (54%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Vitamin B6 High32%
0.5 mg a serve, mostly from dried brown lentils (52%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Selenium High29%
16 µg a serve, mostly from dried brown lentils (27%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Vitamin C High28%
25 mg a serve, mostly from red capsicum (48%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Vitamin K High27%
32 µg a serve, mostly from parsley or coriander (52%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Vitamin B12 High26%
0.6 µg a serve, mostly from lean beef (67%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Magnesium High21%
87 mg a serve, mostly from dried brown lentils (65%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Potassium Source19%
910 mg a serve, mostly from dried brown lentils (63%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Vitamin E Source15%
2.2 mg a serve, mostly from vegetable or sunflower oil (40%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Calcium Source11%
137 mg a serve, mostly from cheese (41%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Show the other 1
Vitamin D2%
0.3 µg a serve, mostly from hard-boiled eggs (83%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
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Recipe and video by Alvaro Barrientos Montero; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.