Mexican Lentil Soup With Cactus Food

MEXICAN LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in onion, bell pepper, carrots and jalapeno and saute 2 minutes.
• Add garlic and saute 2 minutes longer. Stir in broth, tomatoes, lentils, chili powder, cumin, and coriander and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring just a few times throughout cooking, until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.
• Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Serve warm topping each serving with tortilla strips, avocados and cotija cheese.
• Recipe source: Cooking Classy

LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onions and garlic for 5 minutes over a medium heat.
• Add the celery and carrots and cook for 10 minutes at a lower temperature.
• Stir in the drained lentils, 6 cups of chicken broth, and the parsley. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for 25-30 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Remember, cooking time will depend on the lentil variitu you use for this recipe.
• Serve your Lentil Soup in small bowls, add a few drops of lime juice, and enjoy!

MEXICAN LENTIL SOUP WITH CACTUS

Steps:

• Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in lentils and bouillon cubes. Simmer over medium-low heat until lentils are nearly tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Trim off the edges of nopales and scrape spines from both sides using a sharp knife. Rinse and roughly chop. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add nopales and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse.
• Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add pasilla peppers and toast until evenly brown, making sure not to burn them, about 5 minutes. Cool until safe to handle; remove seeds and veins. Combine toasted peppers, onion, garlic, and remaining 1 cup water in a blender. Process until smooth; strain into a bowl.
• Stir blended pepper mixture and boiled nopales into the saucepan with the lentils. Simmer until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes more.

MEXICAN LASAGNA WITH CACTUS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a large disposable aluminum roasting pan with cooking spray.
• Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking the meat into crumbles as it browns, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain excess grease and stir in taco seasoning and half the enchilada sauce. Reserve remaining enchilada sauce for later use. Bring beef mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Set meat aside.
• Layer one package of tortillas into the bottom of the prepared aluminum roasting pan and spread refried beans evenly in a layer over the tortillas. Arrange 1 more package of halved tortillas over the beans, and top with slices of queso fresco. Spread 1 package of reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend over queso fresco slices. Lay half the sliced nopalitos in a criss-cross pattern over the shredded cheese.
• Top nopalito layer with 1 more package of tortillas and spread beef mixture over the tortillas; top with remaining package of tortillas. Finish casserole with remaining enchilada sauce and remaining 1 package cheese blend. Top the cheese with remaining nopalito slices arranged in a criss-cross pattern.
• Bake in the preheated oven until casserole is bubbling and the cheese topping is melted and starting to brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve in squares.

MEXICAN LENTIL SOUP WITH ROASTED GARLIC AND CHILIES

Steps:

• To toast cumin (or coriander) seeds, place the whole seeds in a dry small skillet over low heat. Stir and shake until the seeds release their aroma and darken slightly, just a minute or two. Transfer to a bowl if you won't be grinding them right away, they will continue to cook if left in pan. Grind in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
• Sort and rinse the lentils and put them in a soup pot with the water, bay leaf, sage, and oregano. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook, uncovered, at a gentle boil for 15-20 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Remove the herbs.
• While the lentils are cooking, preheat the oven to 350*F. Rub the head of garlic with a little oil, place on a baking sheet, and roast for about 30 minutes, until soft. When the garlic has cooled, slice off the top of the head and squeeze the garlic out of its skin. Puree with the tomatoes in a blender or food processor and set aside.
• Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, 1/2 teaspoons salt, cumin, and dried oregano; saute over medium heat until the onion is soft, about 7-8 minutes. Add the carrot and peppers and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the ancho chili powder and the chipotle puree, the pureed tomatoes, and 1 teaspoons salt; simmer for 10 minutes.
• Combine the lentils and their broth with the vegetables, cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Add salt to taste. For more spice, add more ancho chili powder or chipotle puree to taste. Sprinkle in the fresh cilantro and oregano just before serving.
• Enjoy!

MEXICAN STYLE LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Soak the lentils overnight.
• Boil them in about a liter of water with the half onion and the whole garlic clove. If the pot starts to run dry, just add more water. Remove onion and garlic after they finish cooking.
• In a large pot, fry the bacon until slightly crispy.
• Add chopped onions, jalapenos and crushed garlic. Cook until soft.
• Add tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Add cooked lentils with their juices and stir.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Simmer in low heat for 15 minutes.
• Serve immediately topped with fresh cilantro.