Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup

This Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup reminds me of my mami. There is not a legume that woman doesn’t like but she especially likes her pinto beans and her lentils. I vividly remember growing up and my mami tell me she was making lentejas con pollo, or lentils with chicken, and truthfully not very excited about it. As I grew older I learned to appreciate lentils more and now really love making them as a soup because they’re so comforting and delicious. In addition to chicken, this Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup also has carrots, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes making it hearty and flavorful. Don’t be intimidated if you’ve never cooked with lentils before. I would encourage you try them as a bean alternative. They cook similar to any beans and if you’ve never cooked beans from scratch, don’t worry! I promise it is easier than you may think.

I trust my handy dandy Instant Pot (IP) to make this soup. I truly believe in making your life easier, especially if you work full-time, are a stay-at-home parent, student, or whatever your case may be. That’s why making this one pot meal in my Instant Pot is such a life saver and I highly encourage you give it a try. You can absolutely make this in a slow cooker and leave it to cook all day why you work or go about your day. You can also make this stove top when you have a little more time. Either way it turns out to be a delicious and hearty meal. Now lets talk about lentils and how to cook them.

Lentils are a type of legume and come in different colors and tend to be used in different dishes. Very much like a bean, legumes are hearty and high in protein. Lentils actually have a little more protein than beans, such as pinto or black beans, and are a great substitute for meat in a lot of dishes. They come in various colors and can be used for different dishes. More commonly used are brown and green lentils for soups and dishes that require just lentils. Red lentils are most commonly used in Indian cuisine to make dal and curries, as well as yellow lentils. The brown and green lentils tend to keep their shape, more-so like beans. Red and yellow lentils tend to cook down to a mushier consistency and make for great soups and curries. I grew up eating brown or green lentils and they have an earthier, more bean-like flavor and consistency. For this kind of dish and many other soups and lentil-based dishes will be using brown or green lentils. I won’t even go into black lentils because I’ve never eaten them or cooked with them but I know they cook differently. Moving on to actually cooking the lentils.

You can cook lentils in various ways but traditionally this is a stove-top dish. Naturally being the full-time working woman that I am I needed to find a quicker way and my trusty IP was the way to go. I love that it’s not only a one pot meal but I can make this dish quickly and keep all the delicious flavor. If you want to go the stovetop route you’ll just be waiting to bring everything to a boil before letting it all simmer for half hour. In the IP you will just set your timer for 12 minutes on high pressure and let it works it’s magic. Lentils by themselves can be ready cooked as quick as 6 minutes in IP or 20 mins stovetop. However, we are cooking chicken with this dish and melding all the flavors together so just a tad longer cooking time is required.

Back to Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup and why I love it so much. My mom loved to make this soup in the winter and there’s always something so comforting about a homemade soup. Now when I make it and eat it all I think about is sitting at the table with my parents having this hearty and delicious soup with some spicy salsa drizzled on top. Not only are the memories associated with this soup lovely but it is a very cost effective meal that makes a large quantity to enjoy days to come. Makes for a perfect meal prep item for weekday lunches when you need to have something ready to go. I really hope you give it a try ASAP, you won’t regret it!