Spanish-Style Lentil Stew with Garlic and Smoked Paprika

Warming lentil stews are common throughout Spain, where they’re often enriched with chorizo, a spiced dry-cured sausage. In this recipe, we mimic chorizo’s smoky, savory flavor with a combination of bacon and smoked paprika. We also simmer a whole head of garlic in the mix—it mellows and sweetens with long, slow cooking, infusing the stew with a subtle garlicky flavor that complements the earthy lentils. Round out the meal with a salad of bitter greens and a loaf of crusty bread.