Mexican Lentil Soup with Cactus

Mexican soup with lentil and cactus is a unique blend of nopale paddles, lentils, and pasilla peppers in a thick and rich chicken broth.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 60 mins
• Calories: 223 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup dry lentils
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 6 cups water, divided
• 2 cubes tomato-chicken bouillon
• 2 nopales (cactus)
• 4 pasilla chile peppers

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in lentils and bouillon cubes. Simmer over medium-low heat until lentils are nearly tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 2

Trim off the edges of nopales and scrape spines from both sides using a sharp knife. Rinse and roughly chop. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add nopales and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse.

Step 3

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add pasilla peppers and toast until evenly brown, making sure not to burn them, about 5 minutes. Cool until safe to handle; remove seeds and veins. Combine toasted peppers, onion, garlic, and remaining 1 cup water in a blender. Process until smooth; strain into a bowl.

Step 4

Stir blended pepper mixture and boiled nopales into the saucepan with the lentils. Simmer until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes more.