Mexican Lentil Soup
Mexican Lentil Soup
I loved lentils and Mexican food before becoming vegan. I never thought of combining the two. That all changed when reading Eddie Garza’s book “Salud”, where he had a recipe for a Mexican lentil soup.
This is my take on his tasty recipe. I’ve added tempeh “chorizo” (which is a staple in my house) to bump up the protein. I’ve also added some red pepper to give extra vitamin c to increase iron absorption. Whether you choose to serve with tempeh, bread, or both, this will leave you satisfied and nourished.
Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
For the tempeh chorizo (optional)
400g tempeh cut into small cubes
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp chipotle powder
2 tbsp cider or wine vinegar
4 tbsp soy sauce
For the soup
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
1 red pepper roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 tsp cumin powder
360g red split lentils
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1.3 litres vegetable stock
500g butternut squash chunks (I use frozen to save time)
1 tsp chipotle flakes/powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
4 big handfuls of baby spinach
Fresh coriander - finely chopped
Lime quarters to serve
METHOD
Start by marinating the tempeh with the paprika, chipotle, vinegar and soy sauce. Set aside and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
When ready to cook, in a large sauce pan heat up the olive oil over a medium/high heat. Add the onion, carrot, pepper and garlic and cook until the onion is soft (about 5-8 minutes).
Add the cumin powder and cook for 30 seconds before adding all the remaining ingredients, except the spinach, coriander and lime. Add a few big pinches of salt. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the lentils are soft (around 30-45 minutes), adding water if the soup becomes a bit dry.
While the soup is cooking, set an oven to 220c. On a non stick baking tray add the diced tempeh. Cook until the tempeh starts to colour (around 15 minutes) and keep warm until the soup is finished.
When the soup is cooked, add the spinach, stir and cover for 1 minute, allowing the spinach to wilt.
When the spinach has wilted, taste and season. Serve in a bowl with tempeh and coriander sprinkled on top and a wedge of lime on the side. You can add some wholemeal bread if you wish.
