Red Lentil Tortilla Soup Recipe - Pamela Salzman (2024)

Every time I made this red lentil tortilla soup at home and posted it on Instagram stories, I realized I still had not posted it on my site. I taught this soup in 2019 and have been making it on the regular ever since. Red lentils don’t hold their shape like brown, green or black lentils. They become kind of mushy but they taste just like regular lentils. I used them in this soup with Tex-Mex flavors and ingredients to create a soup that tastes like a tortilla soup. It’s filling but light, and just like tacos you can serve the soup with a great topping bar! Delish!

Why You’ll Love This Red Lentil Tortilla Soup

• Red lentils are delicious, super nutritious, and very versatile;
• A true super soup – nourishing, comforting, and satiating;
• A nice change from chili for the winter but light enough for the spring;
• Crazy quick!

Ingredients

• Onion – medium yellow or red onion
• Jalapeno – remember, the seeds are the most spicy part!
• Garlic – finely chopped
• Chili powder – you can change up the amount depending on your spice preference
• Lentils – red lentils are SO delicious and so underrated! If you don’t have red, you can use brown or green but the consistency will be different. Red lentils are best for soups and stews.
• Beans – pinto beans drained and rinsed or cooked black beans
• Tomatoes – diced tomatoes with the juice
• Corn – fresh or frozen corn kernels will work here (fire-roasted is nice too!)
• Stock – chicken or veggie stock. Water can work here too.
• Cilantro – I mix some into the soup and use additional cilantro as garnish
• Toppings – chopped corn tortillas or tortilla chips, fresh lime wedges, sliced jalapenos, cubed avocado

How to Make Red Lentil Tortilla Soup

1. Warm a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil and onion. Saute until tender and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the jalapeno and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add the cumin and chili powder and sauté for 1 minute.
3. Add the remaining ingredients except the toppings. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil.
   Lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the lentils are soft, about 20-25 minutes.
4. Taste for seasoning and serve with desired toppings.

Tips

• Choose a quality stock to up the flavor. I am always using my homemade chicken stock (maybe give some brands of store-bought broths/stocks you like?)
• Add toppings right before serving.
• If you want to make this spicy, you can do so by adding more jalapenos, a Serrano pepper, or cayenne.
• Other toppings that would work as well, such as chopped onion, more fresh cilantro, or sour cream if you make it hot!

Substitutions

• Red lentils – lentil of your choosing but lentils that are not split will take longer to cook
• Pinto beans – black beans or any bean you prefer
• Chicken stock – veggie stock or water
• Cilantro – just omit!

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Other recipes you may like:

Tortilla Soup

Chicken or Turkey Tortilla Soup

Creamy Black Bean Soup

Caldo Tlalpeño Soup

Curried Lentil, Tomato and Coconut Soup

If you give this Red Lentil Tortilla Soup a try, snap a pic and tag @pamelasalzman so I can see your beautiful creations. I also really appreciate readers taking the time to leave a rating and review! Subscribe for free to my site for the latest recipes, updates and things I’m loving lately. If you enjoy this recipe, check out my online class here! I teach a new class every month, which you watch on your own time. Give me an hour a month, and I’ll make you a better, healthier cook!