Description
Warming Mexican lentil soup offers a comforting blend of robust flavors and nutritious ingredients. Spices from Mexico dance through rich broth, inviting diners to savor each spoonful with genuine satisfaction.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup dry lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 1 (14.5 oz / 411 g) can diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup corn kernels (fresh, canned, or frozen)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Juice of 1 lime
- Sliced avocado (optional garnish)
- Crushed tortilla chips (optional garnish)
- Shredded cheese (optional garnish, if not vegan)
- Extra lime wedges (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Combine onion, garlic, carrot, and bell pepper, cooking until vegetables become soft and fragrant, approximately 6-7 minutes.
- Build Flavor Base: Introduce cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, and cayenne pepper, toasting briefly to enhance spice intensity. Incorporate diced tomatoes, creating a robust foundation for the soup.
- Simmer Lentils: Pour in vegetable broth and lentils, bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and allow to simmer gently for 25-30 minutes until lentils reach a tender consistency.
- Finalize Soup: Fold in corn kernels and cilantro, warming through for an additional 4-5 minutes. Brighten the flavor with lime juice, adjusting salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle into serving bowls, offering optional toppings such as avocado slices, tortilla chip crumbles, or shredded cheese for personalized finishing touches.
Notes
- Boost Spice Intensity: Toast spices before adding liquids to release deeper, more complex flavors and prevent raw spice bitterness.
- Control Lentil Texture: Monitor liquid levels during simmering to ensure lentils remain tender but not mushy; add extra broth if needed for perfect consistency.
- Enhance Vegetarian Protein: Increase protein content by adding quinoa or extra lentils, making the soup more nutritionally dense and satisfying.
- Customize Dietary Needs: Easily adapt the recipe for gluten-free diets by using cornstarch instead of flour and checking broth ingredients; substitute dairy toppings with vegan alternatives like nutritional yeast or cashew cream for dairy-free versions.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 12 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg