This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Lentejas, or Mexican lentil soup, is an easy and affordable meal that doesn’t skimp on flavor. Made with lentils, carrots, potatoes, and staple Mexican spices, this soup is full of nutrients and great for an everyday comforting dinner!
What Are Lentejas?
Lentejas, or lentil soup, is a traditional Mexican soup made from brown or green lentils and is packed with veggies like carrots, onions, potatoes, cilantro, and plenty of spices.
Lentils are an affordable and versatile ingredient, making this traditional recipe so popular. Plus, it’s full of nutrients and naturally vegetarian!
Lentejas Ingredients
- Lentils: I recommend using brown or green lentils for this recipe for their taste and texture. Red lentils tend to get too mushy.
- Roma tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, garlic: These ingredients make up the blended sauce that adds more depth and flavor than only adding broth.
- Carrots and potatoes: Adds color, flavor, and texture to the soup.
- Seasonings: I used a simple blend of kosher salt, black pepper, and Mexican oregano.
- Broth and chicken bouillon: You can use chicken or vegetable broth. For extra flavor, I also added some chicken bouillon, but that’s optional.
- Olive oil: For cooking the carrots. You can use olive oil, avocado oil, or whatever neutral oil you prefer.
- Cilantro: I added cilantro for extra flavor, but you can omit it if you prefer.
How to Make Lentejas
- Start by cooking the carrots in a large Dutch oven with olive oil over medium-high heat.
- While the carrots are cooking, make the tomato mixture by blending tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, garlic, and seasonings until smooth.
- Add the blended tomato mixture, broth, chicken bouillon, dry lentils, potato, and cilantro to the pot. Stir to combine and raise the heat to high.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes until the lentils are soft and tender.
- Remove the pot from the heat and discard the cilantro sprigs before serving.
Helpful Tips
- While the soup is cooking, occasionally check the texture of the lentils to make sure they don’t overcook and get too mushy.
- Dice your potatoes into small cubes so they cook at the same rate as the lentils.
- Add ingredients like cooked and chopped bacon, bell peppers, or a squeeze of fresh lime for even more flavor!
Recommended Tools
- Dutch oven. One of my most used kitchen tools. So versatile and great for one-pot recipes.
- Heat-resistant silicone spatulas. Great to use for everyday cooking and won’t melt under high heat, plus super easy to clean!
Serving Suggestions
A bowl of lentejas pairs beautifully with many Mexican sides and some select toppings. Here are a few suggestions:
- Serve with a side of tortilla chips, bolillo bread, or warm flour tortillas.
- Top with queso fresco, cotija cheese, or some sliced avocado.
Storing and Reheating
To store, place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To reheat, pour the soup into a medium pot over high heat until warmed through. The lentils will have absorbed some liquid, so you may need to add more broth or water.
Lentejas (Mexican Lentil Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, halved
- ½ medium onion (white or yellow)
- 1 jalapeño pepper (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 5 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
- ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon (about 1 small cube, optional)
- 1 cup dry lentils, rinsed and cleaned
- 1 large russet potato, diced
- 12 cilantro sprigs
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the carrots are cooking, add the tomatoes, onion, jalapeño (if using), garlic, salt, black pepper, and Mexican oregano to a large blender. Blend for 2 minutes until completely smooth.
- Add the blended tomato mixture, broth, chicken bouillon, dry lentils, potato, and cilantro to the pot. Stir to combine and raise the heat to high.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 28 to 30 minutes until the lentils are soft and tender.
- Remove the pot from the heat and discard the cilantro sprigs before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Once again, another delicious recipe! Thank you!
Delicious! We all loved it.
Thank you
This was delicious. Perfect to eat throughout the week.
I made this as a meal prep for the week and froze half for future meals, it was so quick and easy to make, on top of being super tasty
I used purple onion and added bacon and it was a hit! The recipe was easy to follow and the taste I prefect! It is now a guaranteed repeat in my household -thank you so much for this delicious recipe!
This was super easy to make and very tasty. A perfect meal for Meatless Mondays. Unfortunately, my husband and one son think cilantro tastes gross, so I couldn’t add it, but I’m sure that it would have made it taste even better!
Add cilantro leaves to the bowls when serving. Pro tip: make sure you have other recipes in mind where you can use it (Mexican and Asian are easiest for me) because cilantro has a very short lifespan compared to parsley.
I prepared this tonight for the January Challenge. Delicious!
I just made this delicious and hardy soup tonight, and it was perfect for a cold and rainy Sunday evening. My 94-year-old father loved it and scraped up every lentil. My 84-year-old aunt had never tried lentils before but loves soup, and she enjoyed it and cleaned her bowl, too. Lastly, my sweet husband had two big bowls and wants me to make it again tomorrow! Thank you for sharing this delicious, easy, healthy soup with us.
I decided to make this for dinner last night and it was the most comforting soup I have ever made. My boyfriend’s mom used to make Lentejas for him every day after school, so this was the best nostalgic meal for him. It was very simple to make and perfect to eat in this colder weather. Thank you for the recipe!!
Thanking you for a great vegan Mexican soup. Please with more of these!