Sopa de Lentejas

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Following the conquest of Mexico by the Spanish, Mexican cuisine evolved incorporating foods introduced primarily from Spain. In 1862-63, the French Emperor Napoleon  III  appointed Maximilian of Habsburg as the Emperor of Mexico, on the pretense that Mexico could not pay it’s debts to European countries and initially England and Spain supported an invasion. Porfirio Diaz, a Mexican General and politician who served to push out the French from Mexico in 1866. He eventually served as President of Mexico from 1876 to 1911.  During his reign as President of Mexico, he wanted Mexico to emulate the sophistication of Europe and to that end, he made Mexico City in the image of great European cities.

So, did the Mexican recipes for lentils originate from the French or Spanish?  Spaniards might include chorizo, potato and ham and the French include celery, carrots and thyme.  In Mexico they make this soup with nopales (cactus) and cilantro and sometimes ham.

This is a generational recipe from the Soltero family in Guadalajara Mexico and was served by a great Mexican cook – Celina Soltero, and I loved it. Thank you, Celina, for instructing me on making this soup.

 

 

 

 

Ingredients 

Makes 4 servings

½ lb lentils, washed and drained

1 scallion

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

1 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1½ cups fresh tomato, chopped

½ lb fresh nopales, cut into 1 inch cubes.

½ cup diced cilantro

½ teaspoon cumin

6 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper

 

Prepare Nopales

Nopal paddles, aka cactus, are usually sold trimmed of spines but you may want to remove the nodes using a knife followed by a good rinse in water.  Cut the paddles into 1 inch pieces.  Fresh nopales are also sold in Mexican markets as pre-cut produce or pre-cooked in jars.

Place the nopales. scallion and ½ teaspoon of salt in a 2 quart sauce pan, cover with water and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until tender.  Drain and set aside.

Prepare Lentils

Spread lentils out on a surface and remove any dirt particles then wash and drain.  Place the lentils in a 2 quart sauce pan with 3 cups of water.  Bring water to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes until tender.

Prepare Soup

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the onions and garlic for about 4 minutes, then add the cooked lentils, nopales, tomato, ¼ cup cilantro and cumin.  Add  6 cups of chicken broth and simmer the soup for 15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.  Garnish soup bowls with fresh cilantro.

 

Notes

You can substitute carrots, potatoes or bell pepper for the nopal and if you want a pure vegetarian soup use vegetable broth or water in lieu of chicken broth.

 

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