Lentil and Cactus Soup (Mom's Recipe)

This is an authentic Mexican recipe from Cueva Grande, Valparaiso, Zacatecas, Mexico. The only thing I changed was the addition of the potatoes.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins
• Calories: 187 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 14 cups water
• ½ small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, cut into thirds
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, or to taste
• 3 small potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 pound lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 1 ½ tablespoons chicken bouillon (such as Knorr®)
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon (such as Knorr®), or to taste
• 1 cup cooked nopales (cactus), drained

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring the water to a boil in a soup pot with 3 cloves of garlic. Stir in the lentils and 1 1/2 tablespoons of chicken bouillon. Simmer over medium-low heat until lentils are almost soft, about 1 hour.

Step 2

Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet, and cook and stir the onion and 2 chopped cloves of garlic until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato and continue to cook and stir until the tomato releases its juice, about 5 more minutes. Stir the tomato mixture into the lentil soup along with cumin and 2 more teaspoons of chicken bouillon, or to taste. Bring the soup to a simmer, stir in the nopales and potatoes, and cook over low heat until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.