Mexican Lentil Soup (Edit recipe)

Tender lentils, crispy bacon, and spicy jalapeño come together in this delicious Mexican Lentil Soup. The recipe is easy to make, affordable, and nutritious, plus it includes both stovetop and Instant Pot directions.

15 minutes

45 minutes

Difficulty:

Intermediate

Show nutritional information

This is our estimate based on online research.
Calories:	342
Fat:	14 g
Carbohydrates:	34 g
Protein:	28 g
Cholesterol:	27 g
Sodium:	599 mg
Fiber:	15 g
Sugars:	3 g
Calculated per serving.

by Everyday Latina

View original recipe

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1.5 cups Lentils (dried), brown lentils
2 cups Water
3 cups Chicken Broth (Low Sodium)
5 pieces Bacon, diced
1 whole Jalapeño, diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
0.5 whole White Onion, diced
1 whole Roma Tomato, diced
1 cup Hot Water
2 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
1 tsp Kosher Salt

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Process

Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results

Sort through the lentils and pick out any debris or pebbles.
Place the lentils in a strainer or colander and rinse thoroughly under running water.
Add lentils to the Instant Pot with 2 cups of water and the chicken broth.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot and move the valve to seal.
Pressure cook on high for 12 minutes (if your prefer softer lentils cook them for 15 minutes).
Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes.
Move the pressure release valve from the sealing position to the venting position to release any remaining pressure.
While the lentils cook, fry the bacon pieces on medium heat until crispy in a medium pot.
Once the bacon is crispy, add the diced jalapeño, diced white onion, and minced garlic cloves.
Sauté for 3-5 minutes until the onion and jalapeño are tender and fragrant.
Add the diced tomato and sauté for another minute.
Add the cooked lentils with any remaining liquid.
If needed, add ½ cup to 1 cup of hot water to reach your desired soupy consistency.
Season with salt, black pepper, and chopped cilantro.
Let the soup boil for 5 minutes then taste for seasoning, add more salt if needed.
Ladle into a bowl and serve.

Notes

Stovetop Directions Add the clean lentils, 2 cups of water and 3 cups of chicken broth to a medium pot. Bring the liquid to a rapid boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer for 20-35 minutes until the lentils are soft and tender, but not falling apart. To ensure this, check on them at 20 minutes and if they are not done, check on them every 5 minutes until they are at the right consistency. From here, follow the same directions from frying the bacon, to sautéing the vegetables and assembling the soup listed under the Instant Pot steps. Make this vegetarian by omitting the bacon and replacing the chicken broth with vegetable broth.