How-To Make Traditional Mexican Lentil Stew (Lentejas Guisadas)

Raise your hand if you love lentils? Me! Today I am going to show you how to make Vegetarian Mexican lentil stew. This recipe is a super easy and quick meal. When my husband is traveling, I tend to make myself a large pot of this and I eat it everyday. Makes dinner meal planning so much easier. 

I remember when my mom would make lentil soup and I absolutely hated it. This type of dish is common during lent and holy week. 

This dish is also known as lentejas guisadas. Typically it is vegetarian but in the past I have added ground turkey to make it even more heartier. The overall recipe is very easy, green lentils, salt, and a broth of your choice. To make it a stew you need to make a tomato mixture which adds a few other ingredients and about 5-7 extra minutes. 

For the sake of time, I like to make my lentil stew in the instant pot, you save about 30 minutes by doing so. 

How To Make Traditional Mexican Lentil Stew (Lentejas Guisadas)

Equipment Needed

• Blender
• Instant pot 
• Small pot 
• Ladle 

Ingredients 

• 2 Cups Lentils: Green or brown lentils.
• 1/2 onion: white onion works best with this recipe
• 2 cloves of garlic: you can keep them whole so that you can pick them out after the tew cooks. 
• 5 dried red chili peppers: Chile de arbol is what I would suggest using. You can get these at any local mexican store. I have also found these in whole foods. 
• 2 tomatoes: Roma tomatoes will do.
• Water: Double the amount of lentils to make sure it is soupy. 
• Veggie or Chicken Bouillon: I use vegetarian maggi cubes, but if you have stock on hand use this instead of water. 
• Cilantro: For garnish.

Instructions

• In a large bowl soak the lentils for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the lentils to the instant pot. at 1/4 of onion, and salt or bullion of your choice (I used 2 veggie bouillon cubes). Set the instant pot to bean/chili for 20/25 minutes. Seal the vent and let it cook.
• In a small pot add some water and set it to medium heat. Add 1/4 onion, 2 tomatoes, and 3-5 dried chili peppers (add more if you want it spicer), and boil for a few minutes. After 5-7 minutes add these ingredients to a blender, add salt or veggie bouillon to taste and blend.
• After the instant pot beeps, vent out the steam and add the tomato puree. Place the lid back on the instant pot and let it cook for 5-7 minutes.
• Vent the pot, Serve, garnish with a little cilantro (optional), and enjoy.

Serving suggestions

Serve with their warm corn or flour tortillas. Garnish with cilantro and avocado (optional). 

Storing and Reheating

I store my lentils in a large soup container in the fridge. This recipe last 5 days. And up to a month in the freezer. When i was expecting my second child I made a large batch of lentils and froze it in single serving bowls. I would let the soup thaw overnight int he fridge and by morning it would be ready to eat. I would just warm them up for lunch. To reheat, add your desired amount to a medium bowl. You can either microwave it or warm it up on the stove at medium heat. 

This Mexican lentil stew is full of protein, fiber and is super filling. You could add other veggies to make it more filling but it really isn’t needed. I have added potatoes, zucchini and poblano peppers. 

Other Mexican Recipes

• Soy Chorizo and Potato Gorditas
• Instant Pot Frijoles de la olla
• Vegetarian Tamales de Rajas con Queso