Last Updated on June 12, 2023 by Catrina
My husband’s family recipe for a warm, comforting, Mexican-style lentil soup (sopa de lentejas)…this soup has few ingredients, but is packed with flavor and is a family favorite!
It is cool and rainy today…which makes it the perfect day for soup! It stormed all last night and I woke up today bleary-eyed, from tending children in the middle of the night and listening to the rain and thunder pound outside. I needed something easy, forgiving and comforting for our meal today. I hadn’t gone grocery shopping, so another must for today’s meal was something I could whip up with ingredients that I had on hand.
This soup is an all-time favorite for the whole family and it uses just a few basic ingredients. My kids devour this soup and since lentils are healthy and flavorful, I feel good about feeding this to my family. I use the bacon to provide flavor and some fat to fry the onions, garlic, and tomatoes, but I have made this soup without bacon, substituting a couple of tablespoons of olive oil for sautéing.
What lentils should I use for Mexican Lentil Soup?
There are a variety of lentils from red, green, black, and brown that can be found in today’s grocery stores. In Mexico, the most common variety is brown and is the one that I use for this dish. Brown lentils tend to keep their shape during cooking and have a mild, earthy flavor.
How to cook lentils
Cooking lentils for this Mexican Lentil Soup is fairly quick and easy. First, I like to sort through my lentils to remove any broken lentils or other debris (like rocks). Then I give them a quick rinse in a fine-meshed metal sieve. It is not necessary to soak lentils before cooking, but I prefer to soak them overnight if I can. I find that it helps the lentils to cook more quickly. I have also read that soaked lentils are easier to digest.
Cooking times for lentils will vary based on the type of lentils being used and how fresh the lentils are. When doing research for this recipe, I read that the brown lentil variety will be fully cooked in between 20-30 minutes. In my experience, the lentils I have used tend to need closer to 45-50 minutes. The resulting texture is soft, but not overly mushy, which I think is a perfect consistency for soup! That being said, it is worth it to keep an eye on your lentils as they are cooking and start checking for doneness around the 30-minute mark. You certainly don’t want to overcook the lentils and end up with mush.
One other thing to note…I always salt my lentils AFTER they are completely cooked. I know that this statement may be a bit controversial. Similar recipes that I have researched add salt with the lentils as they are cooking. I have not had success getting the lentils to soften enough when the salt is added beforehand.
I hope you enjoy our family version of Mexican Lentil Soup (sopa de lentejas)!
Mexican Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon chopped (see notes)
- 1/2 large white onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 medium roma tomatoes seeded and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups brown lentils rinsed
- 6 cups water
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat dutch oven or heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes
- Add bacon, stirring frequently until browned, about 5 minutes
- Add onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, cooking until golden, about 6 minutes
- Add tomatoes, stirring occasionally, cooking until tender, about 4 minutes
- Add lentils and water, reduce heat and cover, simmering until lentils are tender, about 50 minutes (start checking for doneness around 30 minutes)
- Add salt to taste
Notes
- To make this vegan, substitute 2-3 tablespoons olive oil for bacon.
Leave a Reply