Chorizo, Lentils and Lemon — A Van Dinner for One

It was early evening in Valdepeñas — an área de autocaravanas on the edge of an industrial estate, all services except electricity, and absolutely heaving. School holidays. Every pitch taken. Outside Florie: padel courts with the floodlights blazing and every court occupied, trucks pulling in and out of the estate across the road, kids everywhere. The cumulative noise was considerable.

Poppy decided she had heard enough. She scampered back into the van, assessed the situation, and leapt onto the bottom bunk — quite a feat, given that the garage underneath puts it at a respectable height. She tucked herself behind the bathroom wall where nobody could see her, and that was that. The bottom bunk was hers for the evening.

Which left me the top bunk. No ladder. I am not as flexible — despite this site's name — as I used to be.

I made this chorizo lentils supper while the padel players were still at it and the trucks were still arriving. One pan, half a chorizo, a jar of lentils, and twenty minutes. The chorizo fat does most of the work. The lemon does the rest. We left the following morning, shopped at the Lidl on the way out, and discovered — entirely by accident — a 10,000m² dog park next door. Poppy's opinion of Valdepeñas improved considerably.

Chorizo, Lentils and Lemon — A Van Dinner for One

Serves 1 | Frying pan | Prep 5 mins | Cook 20 mins | Total 25 mins

Ingredients

• 80–100g Chorizo Riojano, sliced into rounds
• 150g cooked brown lentils, drained (Conservas Rosara)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• ½ tsp pimentón picante
• 1 small tomato, chopped — or 3–4 tbsp passata
• 1 tbsp olive oil — you may not need it, depending on the chorizo
• A squeeze of lemon
• A small handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Sea salt and black pepper

Method

1. Put the chorizo slices into a cold dry frying pan and set over a medium heat. As the pan warms, the chorizo will release its fat — deep, smoky, and already doing most of the seasoning work. Cook until the edges are charred and the oil is pooling in the pan. Remove the chorizo and set aside.
2. Check the pan. If there's enough chorizo fat to cook the onion, leave it. If not, add the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over a medium-low heat until softened — about 8 minutes.
3. Return the chorizo to the pan. Add the garlic and cook for one minute, keeping it moving.
4. Add the tomato or passata. Stir gently and let it soften into the oil for 2–3 minutes.
5. Add the pimentón. Stir and shake the pan to distribute it through the oil without letting it catch.
6. Add the lentils and fold them through. Warm over a low heat for 3–4 minutes until everything is heated through and the lentils have taken on the colour and flavour of the pan.
7. Season with salt and black pepper. Squeeze over the lemon, scatter the parsley, and serve straight from the pan with crusty bread alongside.

Recipe Notes

• Chorizo Riojano is the one to use here — firm, well-spiced, and it holds its shape in the pan rather than collapsing. A soft cooking chorizo works but gives a looser result.
• Conservas Rosara brown lentils from a jar are ideal for van cooking — drained weight is accurate, no soaking, no boiling, no second pan. Green or Puy lentils work if that's what's in the cupboard.
• The lemon isn't decoration. It cuts through the richness of the chorizo fat and lifts the whole dish. Don't skip it.
• Crusty bread is non-negotiable. There was a Lidl baguette. There is always a Lidl baguette.
• This chorizo lentils recipe keeps well.

Footnote

This chorizo lentils recipe is part of my Campervan Cooking Recipes collection — van-friendly recipes, one-pan cooking and food from the road.
It also features in my Spanish Recipes collection — regional classics, tapas, seafood, rice dishes and food cooked from Andalucía and the road.
And in my Gut Health Recipes collection — real food from a rural Andalucían kitchen, built around fermented foods, high-fibre pulses, wholegrains and prebiotic-rich ingredients.
Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky park-ups, proper adventures, genuine freedom — The Flexible Chef