Sopa de Lentejas (Mexican Lentil Soup) 🍲 is a simple, comforting soup made with lentils, carrots, onion, garlic, and tomato sauce. It’s hearty, flavorful, and easy to make with everyday ingredients.
This Sopa de Lentejas Mexicana recipe was first published in 2017 and remains one of my son’s favorite soups.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️
- It’s simple. You only need a handful of everyday ingredients to make a hearty bowl of sopa de lentejas.
- It’s easy to customize. Add extra vegetables, a little spice, or your favorite toppings to make it your own.
- It’s budget-friendly. Lentils are an inexpensive pantry staple that can feed the whole family.
- It’s great for leftovers. The flavors come together even more after sitting in the refrigerator, so it makes an easy meal for the next day.
-Maggie
👩🏼🍳 Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium-high heat.
- Sauté the carrots for 2 minutes.
- Add white onion. Stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
- Then add the rinsed lentils and plenty of cold water.
This Mexican lentil soup is made with simple, everyday ingredients. For extra flavor, use vegetable broth or vegetable bouillon instead of water.
Types of Lentils
You can substitute brown lentils for green lentils. Both hold their shape well and have a similar flavor. Red lentils cook faster and break down more easily, giving the soup a softer, thicker texture. They’re a good option if you prefer a smoother Sopa de Lentejas.
- Add the garlic cloves, salt, and bay leaf to the soup pot.
- Reduce to medium heat and boil for 25 minutes.
🥣 Variations
🌟 You can easily customize Sopa de Lentejas with different seasonings and toppings. Try adding a pinch of cumin, fresh cilantro, or a little cinnamon or clove for extra flavor. Mexican chorizo or crispy bacon can make the soup heartier, while hot sauce or diced jalapeño adds some heat.
🌟 For extra vegetables, try calabacitas, Italian zucchini, celery, green beans, potatoes, or peas. A squeeze of fresh lime juice right before serving is also delicious.
- Add the tomato sauce.
- Simmer 10 minutes.
The tomato sauce will thicken the soup slightly and some of the liquid will have evaporated. For a really thick soup, add tomato paste and cook for 10 minutes. Or add chicken broth to make it thinner.
🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
No. Lentils do not need to be soaked before cooking. Unlike dried beans, they cook relatively quickly without soaking. Rinse them well before adding them to the pot.
Store leftover Sopa de Lentejas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. You can also freeze the soup for up to 6 months.
To reheat in the microwave, place the soup in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until hot, stirring halfway through. You can also reheat it in a pot over medium heat until warmed through. If the soup has thickened in the refrigerator, add a little water or broth.
Yes. Red lentils cook faster and break down more easily, so they will give the soup a softer, thicker texture. Brown or green lentils hold their shape better.
🍲 More Mexican Soups
- Caldo de Albondigas
- Sopa de Pollo con Fideos
- Caldo Tlalpeno
- Sopa de Conchas
- Caldo de Pollo
- Caldo de Res
Sopa de Lentejas is simple, comforting, and easy to make with pantry-friendly ingredients. Serve it with a fresh bolillo for a cozy Mexican meal the whole family can enjoy.
Sopa de Lentejas (Mexican Lentil Soup)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- ½ onion diced
- 1 lb. lentils
- 10 cups water
- 1 garlic clove finely minced
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ 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.
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!
I could Eat soup year round. Mexican lentil soup sounds delicious
Me too. Soup is delicious. 🙂
I don’t see how this recipe is Mexican. It’s pretty standard lentil soup. How bout some seasoning to give it a Mexican taste.
This is how I make the soup. I usually serve it with bolillo and sliced pickled jalapeno.
This looks so good!! I totally need to make this, thanks for sharing this recipe
Thanks. Hope you make it.
I adore soups and this one looks really good. I love lentals. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed this!
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 love lentil soup but I also add a little cumin and a tiny pinch of oregano for a smoky taste. That gives it a Mexican flavor
Yes, very yummy. 🙂
Good tip on cooking the brown lentil beforehand so they keep their shape. And for the record, I always like soup better than chicken nuggets. 😉
Glad it was useful!
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
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
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
This soup looks and sounds so delicious. I would like to try this soup.
It’s amazing! Hope you try it
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
We are always looking for delicious vegetarian recipes. This looks perfect!
So glad you enjoyed this!
I love soup and this one looks so good! I can’t wait to try it.
So glad you enjoyed this!
I could use a bowl about this right about now. We’re getting snow so I could use the warm. It looks amazing!
And it tastes amazing! Hope you try it
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
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.
I love adding Kielbasa sausage to my Lentils. Family loves it!!
How much water do I need to add?
The water should be about 2 inches above the lentils.
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!
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!