Savory Mexican Lentil Soup

Mexican Lentil Soup

Just learned the recipe from my mom and sister and thought I’d share it for this chilly winter season.

You’ll need:

• 1.5 cups of regular lentils
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 leveled tbs of chicken bouillon (we use Better than Bouillon)
• 2 dried chiles guajillo
• 3 dried chiles puya
• 1/2 tsp of ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp of ground all spice

Prep:

• Boil 2 liters of water and add lentils once water is boiling. Cover and turn down to mid-low and cook for 20-25 mins, or until tender. DO NOT ADD SALT.

• Boil the dried chiles for 5 mins, cover and let it sit for 10 mins until the fresh is soft. Once the flesh is no longer tough, rinse under cold water and remove the stems, seeds, and veins.

While the lentils are boiling, add the chopped onion to another pan and cook with a tbs of your preferred oil. Cook for 5 mins with a sprinkle of salt. Add the chopped garlic and tomatoes. Cook on medium for 15 mins, stirring frequently. Add about 1/4 of water into the pan, turn the heat to high and add the chicken bouillon, all spice, and cumin. Cook the dried spices into the mix for another 5 mins.

Add the cleaned and hydrated peppers into a blender, along with a cup of water. Blend the hydrated peppers with water for 2 mins. In that same blender, add the tomato and onion mixture you were cooking into the blender and blend for 1 min on high. Clean the pan you used to cook the onions and tomatoes and add 1 tbs of oil and heat on high. Only get it hot for 25-30’seconds so oil doesn’t burn.

Be careful here, but add the mixture from the blender onto the pan with hot oil. It’s important that you stir the mixture immediately because a little will jump outside the pan. Cook the mixture for 5 mins. My mom says this is traditionally done in Mexico to any “guisados” to make sure the sauce is flavorful. My mom calls this a mole, which in Mexico is a term used for any thick flavorful sauce or mixture.

Once the mole is done, dump about 2/3 the water the lentils cooked in and add the mole. Cook the lentils and the mixture for 15-20 mins on low after a boil is reached. At this point, add salt to taste if the chicken bouillon you used is insufficient.

Optional: adding cooked bacon.

My sister adds finely chopped celery, carrots, and potatoes and fresh peas during the last 15 mins of cooking, also super good!

Hope you all enjoy, thanks!

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