Name: Hearty Mexican Lentil Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large yellow onion, chopped; 3 green onions (scallions), sliced whites and light green parts; 3 large stalks celery, chopped; 2 large carrots, chopped; 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and finely minced; 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped; 1 4.5-ounce can chopped Ortega green chiles, drained; 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano; 3 teaspoons ground cumin; 2 bay leaves; 1 cup dried green or brown lentils (rinsed and stones and debris discarded); 6 cups vegetable broth; 1 cup water; 1 cup crushed tomatoes (canned); salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Description

Mexican Lentil Soup (Sopa de Lentejas) is a vegetarian soup that’s quick and easy to make. This Mexican lentil soup recipe to make with green lentils, Ortega chilis, onion, garlic, vegetables and it’s perfectly seasoned with cumin and oregano.

Ingredients

Scale

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 green onions (scallions), sliced whites and light green parts
3 large stalks celery, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
3–4 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and finely minced
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 4.5-ounce can chopped Ortega green chiles, drained
1–1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1 cup dried green or brown lentils (rinsed and stones and debris discarded)
6 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 cup crushed tomatoes (canned)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Sauté Aromatics: Heat oil in a large pot. Add the onions, celery and carrots and sauté for approximately 7-10 minutes until tender and the onions are golden in color.
Add Garlic: Add the garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
Season: Stir in the chopped Ortega chilis, cilantro, oregano and cumin.
Combine: Pour in the vegetable broth, water, crushed tomatoes and lentils.
Simmer: Add the bay leaves. Cover the pot and simmer for approximately 40 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
Garnish: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with nachos, plain tortilla chips, avocado, cilantro, cilantro pesto, cojita cheese, etc.

Notes

This Sopa de Lentejas is versatile. You can add chopped red potatoes, spinach, zucchini, yellow squash, or bell peppers for a chunkier soup. You can also use 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning instead of cumin and oregano.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Category: Soup
Method: Simmering
Cuisine: Mexican

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 177 kcal
Sugar: 6 g
Sodium: 1081 mg
Fat: 10 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 17 g
Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 6 g
Cholesterol: 5 mg

Keywords: Mexican Lentil Soup, Sopa de Lentejas, vegetarian soup, green lentils, healthy dinner