We love a good complete one-pot meal for easy weeknight dinners! For other one pot meal ideas, try this Ship Wreck Stew, Tortellini Soup with Sausage, or Pork Adobo.
When the weather is getting a little chilly out, it’s nice to be able to come home after a long day to a warm bowl of soup.
This soup is going to really hit the spot and warm you up from the inside. It’s a simple soup that only requires some basic pantry staples plus a few fresh vegetables.
And this soup cooks pretty quickly for a homemade bean soup, it is not one of those soups that has to simmer all day to taste amazing.
This Mexican lentil soup recipe makes a great dinner or lunch idea that is full of great spices like cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika. And then there is the chorizo, which adds so much flavor. Of course you could switch the sausage out for a ham hock, hot dogs, or oxtail.
If you are a fan of lentil soup recipes, you may also really like this Italian lentil soup, it’s full of veggies and made right in the instant pot pressure cooker.
What is Sopa de Lentejas?
Sopa de lentejas translates to “lentil soup,” which is a soup that, yep you guessed it, is made with lentils. If you have never tried lentils before, this is a great recipe to start with. This version has Mexican flair and lots of vegetables added in.
Lentils are small round legumes that when cooked have this creamy texture and delicious flavor. And if you are wondering if lentils are healthy, they definitely are! There’s a lot of nutrients packed into those tiny legumes. Besides a lot of vitamins and minerals, they are full of more protein (18 grams of protein per cup!) than most beans, but have way less calories.
Did you know that legumes are actually vegetables? So that means that lentils are a vegetable!
What kind of Lentils to use?
There are five basic colors of lentils, brown, green, yellow, red, and black. Yellow and red lentils are very delicate and are too soft to use in this particular soup. It’s easy to find lentil at most grocery stores.
The lentils that are the most available and easiest to find are green lentils and brown lentils. They also a bit firmer and hold up well in this soup recipe. These are the best lentils to use when making this soup. You can use either one or even a mix of the two.
I don’t recommend using black lentils (Puy Lentils) they don’t soften as well as the green and brown.
Do I use Dry Lentils or Canned Lentils?
I usually make my homemade soups with dry lentils, I pick them over and rinse them. If I am really short on time I’ll use canned lentils, but they do contain a fair bit of sodium. I recommend buying the low sodium lentils and adjusting the amount of salt added into the soup.
If you have the time, I recommend that you make this with dried lentils, the flavor is going to be way better. To make it with canned lentils, use two 14 oz cans that have been drained and rinsed. Drop the liquid added to the soup down to 6-7 cups. Cook the soup for about 20 minutes before adding lentils, add them in and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
Do Lentils Need to Soak?
One thing I love about cooking with lentils is that they do not have to be soaked like traditional legumes. If you want to soak them you can, it will cut the cooking time down. But, lentils cook pretty quickly so I don’t really see the point in soaking them.
Can this be made into Vegetarian Soup?
It definitely can be made vegetarian and even vegan lentil soup. Just make sure to use vegetable broth or vegetable stock and leave out the Mexican sausage. Lentils are an excellent choice for vegetarians because they are full of protein.
Recipe Ingredients
Here are the basic ingredients that are needed to make this tasty soup. For full amounts check out the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
- Chorizo: This is a spicy Mexican sausage. You want the kind that are in casings, not ground. If you like you can remove the casings after cooking.
- Oil: This is optional if there is not enough fat cooked off of the sausages. I like to use a little extra virgin olive oil, but any vegetable oil will work.
- Onion: Yellow or white onion that gets diced.
- Carrots: Needs to be diced. If the carrots are small, you can thinly slice them.
- Celery: Celery stalks need to be cut into thin slices.
- Bell Pepper: I prefer to use red or orange bell peppers because they have a sweet flavor. But, green can be used instead.
- Garlic Clove: Fresh garlic cloves will be the best for flavor, but if you don’t have any garlic powder will work in a pinch.
- Cumin: Ground cumin.
- Paprika: I like to use smoked parika for that little bit of smokey flavor, but if you only have plain that will work also.
- Oregano: Use Mexican oregano if you have it, if not just use plain oregano.
- Tomatoes: Two to three large tomatoes, you need about 1 1/2- 2 cups diced. I leave the skin on and seeds inside, but you can remove those if you like. I like to use tomatoes on a vine or roma tomatoes. You can also use a can of diced tomatoes. I like Muir Glen because their cans are lined which keeps the BPA from leaching into the tomatoes.
- Lentils: Use brown or green lentils. Red or yellow can be used if there are no other options but the soup may be more mushy. I don’t recommend using the black French lentils.
- Broth: Low salt vegetable broth, chicken broth, or chicken stock can be used. I prefer to add salt to taste to my food rather than have it pre salted. You can cut some of the broth with water.
- Salt: I like kosher or sea salt.
- Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper will be the most flavorful.
- Cilantro: Will need to be minced to add to the soup at the very end of cooking for fresh flavor.
- Optional Toppings: Hot sauce, avocados, tajin, or squeeze of lime. You could even add a sprinkling of Mexican cheeses such as Oaxaca, queso fresco, or Cotija.
How to Make Lentil Soup
It’s easy to make this recipe. Here are the basic steps, but for full instructions check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
STEP 1: In a large stockpot, add in chorizo and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes turning occasionally until brown on all sides. If oil does not leak out on its own poke a hole in the sausage to drain the oil into the pot. Take the sausage from the pot and place on paper towels to drain. Remove some of the grease from the pot, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind. If there isn’t enough fat, add in some extra virgin olive oil.
STEP 2: Add in onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper and sauté (stirring frequently) about 10-12 minutes until softened. Drop the heat to medium low if the mixture starts to turn brown.
STEP 3: Add in garlic and cook for another minute.
STEP 4: Next, to the large pot add in the broth, tomatoes, cumin, paprika, oregano, rinsed lentils and salt. Give it all a stir.
STEP 5: Simmer for 20 minutes and then add in the cut up sausage. Continue cooking for 10-20 minutes until lentils are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
STEP 6: Top the bowls with chosen toppings and serve with sides.
What to Serve with Lentil Soup?
Lentil soup is great with anything you would normally eat with soup. A good, crusty bread like bolillos is always perfect with soup. We also really love making these air fryer rolls and if you don’t mind mixing cultures at dinnertime, I recommend making your own French bread.
This soup is great with a side salad or a variety of vegetable sides like asparagus or air fryer squash. Of course, it’s so good to eat with crackers (galletas de soda) or tortilla chips, too.
And then there are the toppings for the lentils. So many options! Add your favorite Mexican cheese, thinly sliced radishes, green onion, fresh cilantro, sour cream, Mexican crema, cut up avocado or fresh tomatoes, lime wedges for fresh lime juice squeezed on top, or hot sauce. Basically, whatever your heart desires.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Add all of the liquid. It may seem like there is a lot of liquid being added to the soup, you want to add all of it. Lentils soak up a lot of liquid so this is a thick soup and may need even more liquid after they cook.
- Different add ins. Make it your own version of lentil soup by adding in different vegetables like green beans, squash, or cubed potatoes. You could even add a little chili powder or make it spicy with chipotle powder.
- Instead of broth you can use bouillon. Just mix the bouillon cube with hot water, the amount of cubes to water will depend on the brand you use. Some of them need one cube per cup, some will need one cube for 2 cups.
- Cut down broth and use water. You can also substitute some of the broth for water, like 4 cups of broth and 4 cups of water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is lentil soup keto friendly? Legumes are generally avoided on a keto diet, so this soup is not really keto friendly.
How to thicken lentil soup? Lentil soup is pretty thick on its own after cooking. But, if you want it thicker you can use an immersion blender to blend a little bit of the soup so that you have a mix of broken up lentils and whole lentils.
Storing Leftover Soup
Let the soup cool and put in an airtight container. It should last about 5 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove until hot.
Can Lentil Soup be Frozen?
Yes, lentil soup freezes really well. Make sure to put into an airtight container and label with recipe and date. Use within 3-6 months.
Try these other great recipes!
- Cheese Enchiladas with Homemade Red Sauce
- Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- Alambre Tacos with Carne Asada
- Salsa Bechamel – Easy white sauce
- Bean Tostadas
If you’ve tried this sopa de lentejas recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below in the comment section. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes!
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Mexican Lentil Soup with Chorizo
Ingredients
- 6 ounces chorizo, about 3 sausages
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced or if carrot is smaller can thinly slice
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, freshly diced or 1 14 oz can
- 2 cups brown or green lentils
- 8 cups broth, or 1/2 broth and 1/2 water
- 2 tablespoons cilantro , minced
- optional toppings: hot sauce, cheese, avocado, fresh whole cilantro leaves.
Instructions
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In a large stockpot, add in chorizo and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes turning occasionally until brown on all sides. If oil does not leak out on its own poke a hole in the sausage to drain the oil into the pot. Take the sausage from the pot and place on paper towels to drain.
-
Remove some of the grease from the pot, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind. If there isn't enough fat, add in some extra virgin olive oil.
-
Add in onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper and sauté (stirring frequently) about 10-12 minutes until softened. Drop the heat to medium low if the mixture starts to cook too quickly.
-
Add in garlic and cook for another minute.
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Next, to the large pot add in the broth, tomatoes, cumin, paprika, oregano, lentils and salt. Give it all a stir.
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Slice up cooled sausages on a cutting board. Keep set aside.
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Bring up to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes and then add in the cut up sausage. Continue cooking for 10-20 minutes until lentils are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cilantro.
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Top the bowls with toppings.
Recipe Notes
- Add all of the liquid. It may seem like there is a lot of liquid being added to the soup, you want to add all of it. Lentils soak up a lot of liquid so this is a thick soup and may need even more liquid after they cook.
- Different add ins. Make it your own version of lentil soup by adding in different vegetables like green beans, squash, or cubed potatoes. You could even add a little chili powder or make it spicy with chipotle powder.
- Instead of broth you can use bouillon. Just mix the bouillon cube with hot water, the amount of cubes to water will depend on the brand you use. Some of them need one cube per cup, some will need one cube for 2 cups.
- Cut down broth and use water. You can also substitute some of the broth for water, like 4 cups of broth and 4 cups of water.
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Nutrition Information
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