Sopa de Lentejas (Mexican Lentil Soup)

Sopa de lentejas (Mexican lentil soup) is a favorite weeknight dinner because it comes together fast and its filling. This lentejas soup is easy, delicious and perfect for the chilly Fall and Winter seasons. If you enjoy this easy lentejas recipe you’ll have to check out my sopita recipe next.

What I love about sopa de lentejas is that I can use any leftover veggies I have in my fridge before they go bad and make a wonderful soup.

So I really feel like lentil soup is a great way to clean out my fridge and eat my veggies!

If you like Italian flavors you should check out my lentil potato soup recipe too.

If you’ve never had lentejas (lentils) before I highly suggest you give them a try.

What are lentils?

Lentils are legumes like beans. However they cook a lot faster than beans which is why I like them so much.

Lentils don’t have to be soaked but they do need to be rinsed and sorted before cooking.

Ingredients for sopa de lentejas

• Carrots
• Celery
• White onion
• Jalapeño (optional)
• Roma tomatoes
• Garlic clove
• Cilantro
• Bacon (chopped)
• Lentils (rinsed and sorted)
• Chicken bouillon
• Ground black pepper
• Ground cumin
• Bay leaf
• water

How to make lentejas soup

First chop up all your veggies. There’s roma tomatoes, carrots, celery, onion and garlic. I didn’t have jalapeño this time so it isn’t pictured. But I do recommend it. It doesn’t add too much heat to the soup and I like the flavor it gives. Set them aside.

Now this is what’s going to give the soup lots of flavor. Bacon! Cook the chopped bacon in a pot over medium heat until crispy.

Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Pour out most of the bacon grease leaving only a couple tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot.

I like to save my bacon grease. It gives good flavor to green beans, refried beans and many other foods.

Put the rinsed and sorted lentils in a different pot with one bay leaf and water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and simmer covered for about 15 minutes.

While the lentils are simmering heat up the pot with bacon grease over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. If using jalapeño add it now. Cook for a few minutes.

Now add the tomatoes and cook until softened.

Then add the carrots, celery and spices and stir. Reduce heat to medium low. Add the lentils and the water they simmered with to the pot with veggies. Simmer covered for another 15 minutes.

Add the cooked bacon to the finished lentil soup along with some chopped cilantro.

The soup is now ready to be served.

Looking for more delicious chilly weather recipes? Try these:

• mexican shell pasta soup
• mexican meatball soup
• chili
• white chili

Mexican lentejas recipe

I hope you enjoyed this easy sopa de lentejas recipe and I hope you will give it a try!

If you do I’d love to hear what you think of it in the comments below and don’t forget to leave it a rating.

Thank you so much for visiting, see you soon!