Mexican Lentil Soup
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Mexican Lentil Soup is such a perfectly filling and comforting vegetarian soup recipe! It’s packed with veggies and it taste like chicken tortilla soup. And no one is even going to miss the meat. All around win!
Mexican Lentil Soup
Lately I’ve been trying to eat more veggies – and even more so get my family to eat more veggies.
I think the best way to do that is to sneak as many as you can into a soup or main dish.
Because when your kids see a mound of veggies there on their plate it’s always a struggle to get them to eat most of them, but not when they are hidden away in a colorful soup :).
Lentils are a Great Food Choice
Also, as I’ve mentioned before, I’m trying to add more lentils into our meals. I love that they’re healthy, super filling and easily adaptable to a wide variety of different cuisines. They pair well with some many different seasonings.
It wasn’t until a few years ago that I really started cooking with them and now I’m converted. They taste good and they’re good for you so why not try eating them more often?
Lentils Make Tasty Vegetarian Dishes
They make a perfect meatless base for this soup. If you haven’t tried lentils before this is a great recipe to start with!
I mean it’s got all those flavorful Mexican spices and creamy avocados so isn’t that a given it will be good??
If you’d like you can bake your own tortilla strips for this recipe – preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush 4 corn tortillas lightly with olive oil or canola oil then cut into 1/4-inch strips.
Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat then spread strips across and season with salt. Bake until crisp, tossing once halfway through (approx 10 minutes total, every brand is a little different).
More Recipes with Lentils You Might Like
- Italian Vegetable Lentil Soup
- Moroccan Sweet Potato Lentil Soup
- Asian Lentil Lettuce Wraps
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Mexican Lentil Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 medium)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow bell pepper (1 medium)
- 1 1/4 cups peeled and diced carrots (2 medium)
- 1 jalapeno, seeds discarded, chopped (optional)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic (4 cloves)
- 7 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, then more as desired
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 1/4 cups brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 1 Tbsp ancho chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
For serving
- 2 cups Tortilla strips or crumbled tortilla chips
- 2 avocados, diced
- 1/2 cup Crumbled cotija or Mexican blend shredded cheese
Instructions
- 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
Categorized:
- Main Dish
- Mexican and Southwestern
- Soups
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- Lily White Everyone LOVES this soup…. Added the whole jalapeno (with seeds!) for that extra bite. The recipe is easy to follow. I made double portions as it freezes well in souper cubes. October 15, 2025 Reply
- dan hunneyman Very tasty! I blended it at the end, and the color turned out nice. A deep red/orange. Add the cilantro after blending. November 22, 2024 Reply
- William J Day This is our go to for Tex Mex side with tacos and fajitas. Perfect base for toppings! March 10, 2024 Reply
Mexican Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 medium)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow bell pepper (1 medium)
- 1 1/4 cups peeled and diced carrots (2 medium)
- 1 jalapeno, seeds discarded, chopped (optional)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic (4 cloves)
- 7 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, then more as desired
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 1/4 cups brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 1 Tbsp ancho chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
For serving
- 2 cups Tortilla strips or crumbled tortilla chips
- 2 avocados, diced
- 1/2 cup Crumbled cotija or Mexican blend shredded cheese
Instructions
- 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
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