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My son loves riding his bike, video games, and lentil soup. Yes, you read that right – lentils.
Once he came home from school, and he smelled a pot of Sopa de Lentejas (or Mexican Lentil Soup), cooking in the kitchen. His response, “Oh yeah! Soup!”
Who knew lentils would ever compete with chicken nuggets?! He was such a picky eater as a kid. He’s finally starting to enjoy other foods. YAY!
No one makes this soup better than my mom though. Here is her recipe…
Do lentils need to be soaked?
No. Lentils don’t need to soaked, but if you soak them, it reduces the cooking time in half.
Do you cook lentils before adding to soup?
This depends on the type of lentils you are using in the soup. Some dissolve when cooking, making a smoother soup.
I suggest cooking brown lentils beforehand so they can keep their shape.
Pro Tip: You can skip this step and go straight to step 4 in the recipe, but add 15 more minutes to the cooking time. See recipe for further instructions.
Making them from scratch is the best. Plus, it’s very, very easy to make lentils.
How to Make Lentejas (lentils):
- Rinse the lentils and add them to a large stock pot.
- Add lots of water and salt. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat.
- Cover and simmer until they are soft.
- To add more flavor, add 1/2 onion + 1 garlic clove.
You are looking for tender lentils. Not “snuggly soft” – easy-to-chew soft.
Yes, you can buy a can of already cooked lentils, but by making your own, you can control the salt.
More Mexican recipes using lentils: Mexican Lentil Tostadas and Lentil and Poblano Chile Tacos.
How to Make Mexican Lentil Soup (Sopa de Lentejas)
- In a separate stock pot, heat oil.
- Then add diced carrots. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
I had carrots on hand. (The Hubs promised to make carrot juice but he wasn’t fast enough). That’s why they went into the pot.
Other ingredients you can add to the Sopa de Lentejas (Mexican Lentil Soup):
- calabacitas or Italian zucchini
- celery
- green beans
- peas
This lentejas recipe (lentil recipe) is incredibly easy and very adaptable. For a more complete meal, you can also add chicken, fish, beef. All these ingredients would work here too.
Deliciously satisfying Mexican soup recipes: Caldo de Res, Caldo de Pollo, Caldo de Albondigas.
- Then add the onions.
- Cook for 1 minute, or until they are translucent.
- Add garlic, tomato sauce, cooked lentils, and chicken broth.
- Lastly, stir and let everything simmer for 10 minutes.
Your entire house will smell of this delicious and comforting Mexican Lentil Soup, or Sopa de Lentejas. The kind that makes you go … MMM!
Note: Lentils are 100% vegetarian, making this recipe perfect for everyone in the family. Use vegetable broth for a completely meat-free recipe.
Also try these Vegetarian Mexican Soup recipes: Pumpkin Chipotle Soup, Sopa de Fideo, Sopa de Habas. FYI: All of these soups have vegan options.
My mom always served her Mexican Lentil Soup, or Sopa de Lentejas, with bolillo to soak up all the yummy juices from the bottom of the bowl and a few slices of bananas.
No, I’m not monkeying around. Many people in Mexico eat their Sopa de Lentejas (Mexican Lentil Soup) with banana. Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it.
Some people will even add cloves or cinnamon to their soup, but again, I’m giving you my mom’s lentejas soup recipe not theirs.
How Long Does Sopa de Lentejas Last?
- In the fridge, Sopa de Lentejas last 3-4 days.
- In the freezer, Mexican Lentil soup can last up to 6 months.
For me, the spicy and saucy gal that I am, I stick to the P-word – Picante. I like to add a few slices of pickled jalapeños and steer clear of any monkey business. 🙂
Mexican Lentil Soup, or Sopa de Lentejas, is a warm taste of home. A comforting and cozy bowl of goodness that’s perfect on rainy days. Hope you enjoy!
Mexican Lentil Soup, or Sopa de Lentejas
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1 lb. lentils
- 10 cups Water
- 1 garlic clove finely minced
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large stock pot.
- Saute the carrots for 2 minutes.
- Add the onions. Cook for 1 minute.
- Rinse the lentils and add to the pot.
- Add water, garlic, salt, and bay leaf.
- Cook for 25 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce.
- Cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until lentils are soft.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Serve and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- In the fridge, Sopa de Lentejas last 3-4 days.
- In the freezer, Mexican Lentil soup can last up to 6 months.
Nutrition
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Hola, Maggie!
I have included a couple of your recipes and linked back to your site in my latest post, a Day of the Dead recipe roundup. I hope you can take a look. 🙂
https://myheartofmexico.wordpress.com/2017/10/26/blissful-mexican-recipes-to-celebrate-day-of-the-dead/
-Fabiola
Gracias amiga. I’ll go and check it out. Thank you so much for all your support and social media love!
I was wondering, is it really 1 lbs of lentils? It just seems like a lot but I have not made the recipe yet! Thought it might suppose to be 1 cup?
It’s a lentil package of 16-ounces, or 1 lb.
Thank you so much! The soup was delicious! I’m making it again tonight! I did add some ground red pepper for some spice and a bit of ground cinnamon.
That’s awesome. Ground cinnamon sounds like a great addition. Enjoy!
How much water do I need to add?
The water should be about 2 inches above the lentils.
I love adding Kielbasa sausage to my Lentils. Family loves it!!
Thank you so much! The soup was delicious! I’m making it again tonight! I did add some ground red pepper for some spice and a bit of ground cinnamon.
https://porsell.com
Wonderful! I love it when people make my recipes.
That’s exactly the way a do it ! And at the end a throw same spinach leaves
Sound delicious the part of the spinach leaves!
Sounds like a great dish. Lentils are so delicious, that’s one of my family’s favorite.
Lentils are the best! Hope you try this recipe
I love soup and this one looks so good! I can’t wait to try it.
So glad you enjoyed this!
We are always looking for delicious vegetarian recipes. This looks perfect!
So glad you enjoyed this!
YUM! I LOVE lentil soup! I have it for lunch most days! I’ll have to make this variation of it!
Hope you try this recipe! It’s delicious
This soup looks and sounds so delicious. I would like to try this soup.
It’s amazing! Hope you try it
This looks really good. I haven’t actually had lentil soup before. I think I have lentil beans too, so I’ll have to try this.
It’s delicious. Hope you try it
My mom’s been into lentils lately ever since she had heart surgery. I think she would really love this soup!
I think so too! It’s delicious
Lentils are great in soup. I’ve not had any Mexican ones yet. I must try this!!
So glad you enjoyed this! Hope you try it
Although I am not big on lentil soup, the rest of my family loves it but we’ve not tried the Mexican version.
It’s delicious. Hope you try it