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Sopa de Lentejas (Mexican Lentil Soup) is one of my kiddo’s favorite dishes.
My son loves riding his bike, video games, and lentil soup. Yes, you read that right – lentils.
Who knew this little bean would ever compete with chicken nuggets?! Lol!
No one makes this soup better than my mom though. This is her recipe.
How to Make It
- 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.
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.
Here, we are using Brown Lentils. These are the most common type of lentils and do not require cooking before adding to the soup.
Once cooked, you can make Mexican Lentil Tostadas or Lentil and Poblano Chile Tacos
- Add the garlic, salt, and bay leaf.
- Cook for 25 minutes.
You are looking for tender lentils. Not “snuggly soft” – easy-to-chew soft.
This recipe is 100% Mexican vegan. 100% Mexican vegetarian.
Great Idea! Swap out the water for vegetable broth.
Other ingredients you can add to the Soup:
- calabacitas or Italian zucchini
- celery
- green beans
- peas
For a little heat, try adding diced jalapeno.
More Mexican Vegetarian Soup recipes:
Pumpkin Chipotle Soup
Caldo de Verduras
Sopa de Fideo
Sopa de Habas
- Add the tomato sauce.
- Cook 10 minutes.
The tomato sauce will thicken the soup slightly. For an even thicker soup, add tomato paste and cook for 10 minutes.
This lentejas recipe (lentil recipe) is incredibly easy and very adaptable.
Some people will even add cloves or cinnamon to the soup.
Pro Tip:
For a more complete meal, you can also add chicken, fish, beef. All these ingredients would work here too.
More Mexican soup recipes:
Caldo de Res
Caldo de Pollo
Caldo de Camaron
Caldo de Albondigas
How Long Does It Last?
- In the fridge, the soup lasts 3-4 days.
- In the freezer, it can last up to 6 months in a sealable plastic bag.
Mexican Lentil Soup, or Sopa de Lentejas, is a warm taste of HOME.
Add a few slices of pickled jalapeños to this comforting and cozy bowl of goodness. Perfect on rainy days or Meatless Monday. Hope you enjoy!
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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
This post was updated on March 2, 2021. You might remember the previous picture.
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
I adore soups and this one looks really good. I love lentals. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed this!
This looks so good!! I totally need to make this, thanks for sharing this recipe
Thanks. Hope you make it.
I could Eat soup year round. Mexican lentil soup sounds delicious
Me too. Soup is delicious. 🙂
I just love lentil soup! I’ve never had it the Mexican way though, this looks like a fun twist I can try.
So glad to hear this. Super yummy!