Mexican lentil soup, also known as sopa de lentejas, is a hearty, flavorful, and nutritious dish that is particularly popular in Mexico and other Latin American countries. It is a traditional dish that has been enjoyed for generations and is often served as a main course or as part of a larger meal. The soup typically consists of lentils, a variety of vegetables, and spices, and can be customized to suit individual tastes and preferences. One unique ingredient that is often added to Mexican lentil soup is cactus, or nopal, which adds a distinct flavor and texture to the dish. This article will present a comprehensive guide to creating the perfect Mexican lentil soup with cactus, providing detailed instructions, ingredient lists, and tips to help you create a delicious and authentic soup.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
LENTIL SOUP
Your family will love this easy lentil soup so much, they'll be asking for a second serving! At home, my husband loves soups, and this lentil soup is one of his favorites (along with Chorizo Lentil Soup). It uses just a few simple main ingredients, but the end result is full of flavor!
Provided by Mely Martínez
Categories Soups
Time 35m
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onions and garlic for 5 minutes over a medium heat.
- Add the celery and carrots and cook for 10 minutes at a lower temperature.
- Stir in the drained lentils, 6 cups of chicken broth, and the parsley. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for 25-30 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Remember, cooking time will depend on the lentil variitu you use for this recipe.
- Serve your Lentil Soup in small bowls, add a few drops of lime juice, and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 bowl, Calories 245 kcal, Carbohydrate 31 g, Protein 11 g, Fat 8 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Cholesterol 6 mg, Sodium 1198 mg, Fiber 12 g, Sugar 3 g
MEXICAN LENTIL SOUP
A healthy and hearty vegetarian soup everyone will love! It's packed with nutritious ingredients and all those Mexican flavors will leave you craving more. Leftovers make a delicious lunch the next day too!
Provided by Jaclyn
Categories Soup
Time 1h15m
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in onion, bell pepper, carrots and jalapeno and saute 2 minutes.
- Add garlic and saute 2 minutes longer. Stir in broth, tomatoes, lentils, chili powder, cumin, and coriander and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring just a few times throughout cooking, until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.
- Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Serve warm topping each serving with tortilla strips, avocados and cotija cheese.
- Recipe source: Cooking Classy
Nutrition Facts : Calories 486 kcal, Carbohydrate 56 g, Protein 22 g, Fat 22 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, Cholesterol 11 mg, Sodium 518 mg, Fiber 20 g, Sugar 9 g, ServingSize 1 serving
MEXICAN STYLE LENTIL SOUP
This is a hearty, spicy and highly nutrious soup. Vegetarians can ommit the bacon. I would like to add that you don't have to add cumin to dishes to make them taste Mexican or authentic. I was born and raised in Mexico, and most of the dishes my family and friends enjoy there have little or no cumin at all. I'm appalled when I see recipes that call for more than a pinch of this spice.
Provided by Molly Bloom
Categories Pork
Time 1h
Yield 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Soak the lentils overnight.
- Boil them in about a liter of water with the half onion and the whole garlic clove. If the pot starts to run dry, just add more water. Remove onion and garlic after they finish cooking.
- In a large pot, fry the bacon until slightly crispy.
- Add chopped onions, jalapenos and crushed garlic. Cook until soft.
- Add tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add cooked lentils with their juices and stir.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer in low heat for 15 minutes.
- Serve immediately topped with fresh cilantro.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 134.6, Fat 8.7, SaturatedFat 2.9, Cholesterol 12.8, Sodium 159.7, Carbohydrate 9, Fiber 3.1, Sugar 1.7, Protein 5.5
MEXICAN LENTIL SOUP WITH CACTUS
Mexican lentil soup with cactus is a unique blend of nopale paddles, lentils, and pasilla peppers in a thick and rich chicken broth.
Provided by María Eugenia
Categories Vegetable Soup
Time 1h
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in lentils and bouillon cubes. Simmer over medium-low heat until lentils are nearly tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Trim off the edges of nopales and scrape spines from both sides using a sharp knife. Rinse and roughly chop. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add nopales and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse.
- Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add pasilla peppers and toast until evenly brown, making sure not to burn them, about 5 minutes. Cool until safe to handle; remove seeds and veins. Combine toasted peppers, onion, garlic, and remaining 1 cup water in a blender. Process until smooth; strain into a bowl.
- Stir blended pepper mixture and boiled nopales into the saucepan with the lentils. Simmer until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes more.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 222.6 calories, Carbohydrate 37.5 g, Cholesterol 0.3 mg, Fat 2.1 g, Fiber 18 g, Protein 14.8 g, SaturatedFat 0.2 g, Sodium 517.5 mg, Sugar 2.6 g
LENTIL AND CACTUS SOUP (MOM'S RECIPE)
This is an authentic Mexican recipe from Cueva Grande, Valparaiso, Zacatecas, Mexico. The only thing I changed was the addition of the potatoes.
Provided by ralph512
Categories Lentil Soup
Time 1h50m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Bring the water to a boil in a soup pot with 3 cloves of garlic. Stir in the lentils and 1 1/2 tablespoons of chicken bouillon. Simmer over medium-low heat until lentils are almost soft, about 1 hour.
- Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet, and cook and stir the onion and 2 chopped cloves of garlic until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato and continue to cook and stir until the tomato releases its juice, about 5 more minutes. Stir the tomato mixture into the lentil soup along with cumin and 2 more teaspoons of chicken bouillon, or to taste. Bring the soup to a simmer, stir in the nopales and potatoes, and cook over low heat until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 186.5 calories, Carbohydrate 33.7 g, Cholesterol 0.2 mg, Fat 1.2 g, Fiber 10.6 g, Protein 11.9 g, SaturatedFat 0.2 g, Sodium 261.4 mg, Sugar 3.2 g
MEXICAN LENTIL SOUP WITH ROASTED GARLIC AND CHILIES
The roasted garlic adds a richness to the smoky heat of the chipotle peppers in this hearty(and yummy!) soup. It improves as the flavors delvelop, so go ahead and make it a day or two ahead! Adapted from Fields of Greens cookbook.
Provided by Sharon123
Categories Lentil
Time 2h5m
Yield 8-9 cups
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- To toast cumin (or coriander) seeds, place the whole seeds in a dry small skillet over low heat. Stir and shake until the seeds release their aroma and darken slightly, just a minute or two. Transfer to a bowl if you won't be grinding them right away, they will continue to cook if left in pan. Grind in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
- Sort and rinse the lentils and put them in a soup pot with the water, bay leaf, sage, and oregano. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook, uncovered, at a gentle boil for 15-20 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Remove the herbs.
- While the lentils are cooking, preheat the oven to 350*F. Rub the head of garlic with a little oil, place on a baking sheet, and roast for about 30 minutes, until soft. When the garlic has cooled, slice off the top of the head and squeeze the garlic out of its skin. Puree with the tomatoes in a blender or food processor and set aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, 1/2 teaspoons salt, cumin, and dried oregano; saute over medium heat until the onion is soft, about 7-8 minutes. Add the carrot and peppers and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the ancho chili powder and the chipotle puree, the pureed tomatoes, and 1 teaspoons salt; simmer for 10 minutes.
- Combine the lentils and their broth with the vegetables, cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Add salt to taste. For more spice, add more ancho chili powder or chipotle puree to taste. Sprinkle in the fresh cilantro and oregano just before serving.
- Enjoy!
Tips:
- For a smoky flavor, toast the dried chiles in a comal or skillet over medium heat until fragrant and slightly charred, about 2 minutes per side. Then, remove the stems and seeds and soak the chiles in hot water for 30 minutes before using.
- To save time, use canned or pre-cooked lentils. Just be sure to rinse them well before using.
- If you don't have nopales, you can substitute another type of vegetable, such as zucchini, green beans, or carrots.
- Serve the soup with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of queso fresco, and a few tortilla chips for a complete meal.
- To make the soup ahead of time, simply cook the soup according to the recipe and then let it cool completely. Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you're ready to eat, reheat the soup over medium heat until warmed through.
Conclusion:
This Mexican lentil soup with cactus is a delicious and hearty meal that's perfect for a cold winter day. The soup is packed with flavor, thanks to the combination of lentils, nopales, tomatoes, and spices. It's also relatively easy to make, and it's a great way to use up leftover lentils. So next time you're looking for a healthy and satisfying soup, give this Mexican lentil soup with cactus a try.
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