This is a quick, hearty lentil soup very similar to the sopa de lentejas I ate in Nuevo Leon, in northern Mexico.
Recipe by Hank Shaw on December 12, 2022
Prep time: PT20M
Cook time: PT30M
Total time: PT50M
Rating
5 stars (24 reviews)
Keywords
lentil soup
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups lentils ((brown or green))
1/2 onion
1 sprig fresh epazote ((optional))
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
Salt
8 ounces Mexican chorizo ((see above for alternates))
1 cup minced white or yellow onion
1 large carrot, (peeled and diced)
2 ribs celery, (sliced thin)
4 cloves garlic, (minced)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 roasted green chiles, (seeded, peeled and diced)
1 cup crushed tomatoes
Salt
Chopped cilantro and chile pequin to taste
Categories
lunch
Main Course
Soup
Cuisine
Mexican
Steps
Put the onion and epazote in a pot and add the broth, plus another quart of water. Add the lentils and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the lentils are tender, but not mushy. You want them cooked, but still a little al dente. Add salt to taste and turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, in another pot, cook the chorizo -- it should be fatty enough so you don't need to add more fat or oil -- until well rendered, then add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook these until soft, then add the garlic and cook for another couple minutes.
Stir in the cumin, green chiles and tomatoes. If the lentils are done, add them, plus as much of the lentil cooking liquid as you want. If the lentils aren't done, just turn the heat off the soup base until they are.
Once everything's all together, simmer another few minutes, adding salt to taste. Serve with chopped cilantro and as many chile pequins as you can stand.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 331 kcal
Carbohydrates: 39 g
Protein: 20 g
Fat: 11 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 27 mg
Sodium: 932 mg
Sugar: 6 g
Unsaturated Fat: 0.5 g
Reviews
Shawn O. on 2025-06-01 (5 stars): Great recipe as a base and easily adaptable.
Debra on 2025-03-21 (5 stars): Love this recipe, I have a sausage it will complement. I read recently that carrot added to your bean dishes will work like epazote. I did try it with and without carrot in a black bean soup I make every winter and it worked for me.
Brett Bim on 2023-03-07 (5 stars): I made this for Lent so left out the chorizo and subbed Mexican Oregano for the epazote which I was too lazy to go find. It's a fantastic dish, very satisfying in a way that many Lenten dishes aren't. Will be making it regularly for the next few weeks. Thanks!
Brian S on 2023-02-27 (5 stars): I've already made this a few times and it will definitely stay in the rotation. It's great and an extremely fast/easy as a weeknight meal.
Catherine Guelbert on 2023-02-14 (5 stars): We lived this recipe. My husband has had throat cancer so I have to cook to ensure he can swallow. This worked well and there are campuses for more. Thank you so much for another successful dish.
Chris on 2022-12-28 (5 stars): I made this using some leftover slow-roasted pork shoulder, it was a huge hit over here. Making it again today using Mexican chorizo!
Crystal R on 2022-12-17 (5 stars): Made this kinda last minute, so I omitted the chilis (sadly) and had to sub a Portuguese chorizo for the Mexican. It was still delish! Will be trying again with the proper ingredients soon!! Thanks, Hank!
Sam Bartlett on 2022-12-14 (5 stars): Many thinks for this recipe which I tried yesterday with great success.
You might be surprised to learn that you have fans a long way from the US, in my case in Tunisia!
Bill F on 2022-12-13 (5 stars): Delicious. Found those pequins dehydrated at my local Mexican/ethnic grocer and reconstituted them in hot water. We each used a bunch and sweated through our meal but - no regrets!
So, my wife eats game but not most other meats so I used... soyrizo! Came out great, but I added a glug of oil and used some of the lentil liquid to remove the fake meat fond. A real meat that chars a little would surely be tasty.
Tad on 2022-12-12 (5 stars): Hank,
Another great recipe.
Will make over the weekend.
Have a great week.
Tad
