Mexican Lentil Soup
779
- Total Time1 h 15 min
- Makes8 to 10 servings
(Photo: Christie Vuong; Food Styling: Sage Dakota; Prop Styling: Andrea McCrindle)
Earthy cumin, hot peppers and a heap of seasonings give a heady boost to this soup that's hearty enough to serve as a vegetarian entrée.
Ingredients
400-g bag red lentils
1 large onion
2 red or green bell peppers
4 carrots
2 celery stalks
3 jalapenos
4 large garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or bouillon
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Toppings (optional)
sliced avocado
sliced jalapeño
chopped cilantro
sliced limes
Instructions
Wash lentils in a sieve, discarding any twigs and stones. Finely chop onion. Cut red peppers in half, remove seeds and chop into 1/4-inch (0.5-cm) pieces. Peel carrots. Chop carrots and celery into 1/4-inch (0.5-cm) pieces. Core and seed jalapeños, then mince along with garlic.
Heat oil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add onion, red peppers, carrots, celery, jalapeños and garlic. Stir-fry until vegetables are slightly soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in lentils, broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring often. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils and vegetables are tender, from 30 to 40 minutes. Taste and add more salt and seasonings, if needed.
For a heartier consistency, remove about one-quarter of soup and place in bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Whirl until mixture is puréed. You may need to add a little water if mixture is too thick. Stir purée back into soup. Serve hot with a crusty baguette. Soup will keep well, covered, in the refrigerator up to 3 days or in the freezer up to 3 months.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 176, Protein 12.9g, Carbohydrates 26.3g, Fat 2.7g, Fibre 5.6g, Sodium 741mg.
