This was one of the first ever Budget Bytes recipe experiments. After browsing the internet looking for ideas, I saw this Spicy Red Lentil and Tomato Soup by Andrea Meyers and it piqued my interest. I changed the spices up a bit back in 2009, and increased them for a little more of a punch this second time around. I also reduced the liquid in this 2015 update because I wanted this Mexican Red Lentil Stew to be less soupy and more stew-like. The result is about 11 cups of a delicious stew, full of color, texture, and vibrant flavor.
If you like my Chicken and Lime Soup, you’ll likely be a fan of this stew as well. I used the same technique of adding fresh lime juice and cilantro to finish the soup, which really brightens up the flavors. You can serve this with tortilla chips, or even a crumbled piece of cornbread. Both soak up the delicious broth and add body to the stew.
This stew freezes great, so go ahead and make an enormous pot of this. Freeze half of it in single serving sized portions for those nights when you’re exhausted and don’t want to do anything more difficult than punch a few buttons on the microwave.
Mexican Red Lentil Stew
Servings 7 (1.5 cups each)Ingredients
- 2 cups dry red lentils ($3.46*)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1 medium onion ($0.37)
- 3-4 stalks celery ($0.79)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 2 14.5 oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes ($2.38)
- 1/2 Tbsp chili powder ($0.15)
- 1 tsp cumin ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric ($0.05)
- 4 cups vegetable broth ($0.52**)
- 10-15 dashes hot sauce ($0.15)
- 1 medium lime ($0.39)
- 1/2 bunch cilantro ($0.50)
Instructions
- Add the dry lentils to a medium pot. Cover with water, swish to rinse, then drain off as much water as possible. Repeat this process until the water remains mostly clear. After draining off the last rinse, add four cups of water, place a lid on top, and bring the lentils to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, turn off the heat and let sit with a lid on for about 20 minutes.
- While the lentils are cooking, begin the rest of the stew. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté both in a large pot with olive oil over medium-low heat until soft and transparent.
- While the onions and garlic cook, rinse and dice the celery. Add the diced celery to the pot and continue to sauté for a few minutes more, or just until the celery begins to soften.
- Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), chili powder, cumin, turmeric, and hot sauce to the pot. Stir to combine.
- The lentils should be finished cooking at this point. Drain off as much of the cooking water as possible, then add the lentils to the pot along with the vegetable broth. Stir to combine, then allow the soup to simmer over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes. The lentils will soften and break down further as they simmer, helping to thicken the stew.
- Pull the cilantro leaves from the stems, give them a rough chop, then stir them into the stew. Squeeze the juice of the lime into the broth and stir to combine. Taste the stew and adjust the salt or hot sauce if desired.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Red Lentil Stew – Step by Step Photos
Red lentils differ from brown and green lentils in that they get very soft, lose their shape, and break down when cooked. This is important to the stew because it thickens it and creates a unique texture. Place two cups of dry red lentils (about one pound) in a medium pot. Cover with water and swish it around to rinse the lentils. The water will likely turn cloudy. Carefully pour off the water and repeat the process until the water remains fairly clear. Once the last of the rinse water is poured off, add four cups of fresh water, place a lid on top, and bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat off and let it sit for 20 minutes to let the lentils soften.
While the lentils are cooking, you can begin the rest of the soup. Dice one onion and mince four cloves of garlic. Add both to a large pot with 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Sauté over medium-low heat for a few minutes, or until the onions are soft and transparent.
While the onion and garlic are sautéing, rinse and dice 3 to 4 stalks of celery. Add them to the pot and continue to sauté until they begin to soften (a few more minutes).
Next add two 14.5oz. cans of fire roasted tomatoes (with juices), 1/2 Tbsp chili powder (NOT hot red pepper powder), 1 tsp cumin, and 1/2 tsp turmeric. Stir to combine.
Also add 10-15 dashes of your favorite hot sauce. I happened to have some Cholula, so I thought that would be quite fitting. You can use Tabasco, Franks, or any type you like. I might be partial, but I even think sriracha would be interesting in this.
By this time the red lentils should have soaked in the hot water for about 20 minutes and they’ll look a little something like this. They have absorbed most of the water, but there is still some pooled in the bottom. Carefully pour off the excess water, then add the lentils to the soup pot.
After adding the cooked lentils, add 4 cups of vegetable broth. Stir the pot, then let it simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes. This will further break down the lentils and help them thicken the pot.
While the soup is simmering, pull the leaves from the stems for about 1/2 of a bunch of cilantro. Give them a rough chop. Cut one lime in half.
Stir the chopped cilantro into the stew and squeeze the juice from the lime into the broth (you can start with half the lime and add more if desired). Taste and adjust the salt or hot sauce if desired.
This is one of those wonderful occasions when “healthy” and “delicious” coexist!
This was delicious. I halved all ingredients except for the vegetable broth. Soaked lentils in water for 3-4 hours and skipped boiling lentils separately.
Great recipe! I just made it tonight since I needed something big, easy, and filling for tonight’s dinner and my lunch at work for the next few days. I added mushrooms, about half of a sweet potato, and a carrot to make a little more filling. It came out great! The lentils have a wonderful texture and everything is spiced to perfection. I also added just a touch of avocado and a dash of shredded cheddar just before serving – it was delightful. Definitely a recipe I’m going to pass onto my friends for dinner parties.
This was so good. I think I made this a few years ago and wasn’t a huge fan, but I gave it another shot since so many people seem to love it and I wanted to vary my lentil game. I’m glad I did! I made it in the instant pot according to another reader’s comments: sauteed the onions, garlic, and celery on the saute function, then added everything else along with an additional 2 cups of broth (6 instead of 4). I used the manual function on high for 18 minutes, and things were cooked perfectly. I actually doubled the recipe, which just barely fit in the 8 qt instant pot. I think the whole cycle took about an hour and I did a quick release because ain’t nobody got time for a natural release. I added 1 lb of frozen corn at the end too to add some additional texture, which fit perfectly. I think this can easily be a one pot recipe, so I’m looking forward to the rework. Overall great flavor, great nutrition, great that I have leftovers so I don’t have to cook tonight!
Made this soup today and it is colorful and yummy!
Could you pre-rinse the lentils and then add them uncooked with the broth and simmer a longer amount of time? I’m trying to figure out how to keep this one-pot. I make a different simple red lentil soup that is one pot and simmers for 30 min or so after you saute the veggies.
Yes, that would probably work. When I remake this recipe I plan to use that method. :)
Update: I halved the recipe, but used 4 cups of broth, since I knew the lentils would soak up some. It’s just finishing simmering, but it looks like the picture! 😆
Awesome, thanks for the update!! :)
Very good, will be making this again for sure! My recently turned 2 year old devoured his bowl of this. My husband really enjoyed it and asked me to make it again sometime. We are a small family of 3 so this amount gives us more than enough for another meal with seconds. I’m sure this will taste even better tomorrow after all the flavors marinate together even more.
This was so good! The only thing I changed was that I added smoked sausage. Oh, and I added a little more hot sauce. The best lentil dish I’ve ever made! Even better than a lentil dish from Serious Eats. Very flavorful. Even my picky mother in law liked it.
Another great recipe! Thank you!!
For anybody curious, I made this in my instant pot and it worked perfectly!
I did manual on high pressure for 18 minutes and natural pressure release for 20 minutes (I forgot about it, you could probably just do a quick release 5 mins).
I added 6 cups total of broth to account for cooking the lentils together. I cooked everything together, but sauted the onions, garlic, and celery first before adding the other ingredients to the pot.
Thank you for this comment! I made it like you did and was also successful. I added corn at the end and it was delish.
Why do you throw out the cooking water? Red lentils, especially, are a real source of iron. Do we lose it if throwing out that simmering water?
Love the recipe!!!
Excellent soup/stew – my husband is not a big soup eater but he texted me that the “soup is really good”. This is his equivalent of a 5 star rating. I only had canned lentils on hand so am sure the dried would have made it better.
This has been in our regular rotation for years. Super quick, easy and totally delicious. We like things quite spicy and I typically add a bit more of this and that to just about every recipe I find on the internet, but this recipe is great as written and I’ve never felt the need to make any “adjustments.” I freeze the leftovers (and you will definitely have leftovers) in single serving containers and bring them to work for lunch. Thanks Beth!
I adjusted for 10 servings and made a huge pot last night. I added an extra couple spoonfuls of vegetable base and two cubes of chicken bouillon as well as a shake of red wine vinegar to combat the intense tomato flavor. The hot sauce is crucial! The leftovers will go great with an egg for breakfast.
This Soup is a 5 star wherever I make it.
It’s always on the repeat throughout winter in my home. The only variation is that we don’t throw the water in which we cook the lentils and add a little bit of turmeric and salt to use it later in place of the store bought vegetable broth.
Still totally yum! Thanks Beth-Ann
This soup is so flavorful and delicious! Seriously, I cannot say how much everyone I have served it to loves it! 5 stars for sure!!
Tasty and Filling.
Good Eye Appeal.
I had some parts of poblano and Anaheim peppers that needed to get eaten, so I added it at the onion and garlic step. I wanted something more soupy, so I added water,. Next time I will use a vegetable base to equal at least 5 cups.