lentil and cactus soup (mom's recipe)

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 14 cups water
• 3 cloves garlic, cut into thirds
• 1 pound lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chicken bouillon (such as knorr®)
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon (such as knorr®), or to taste
• 1 cup cooked nopales (cactus), drained
• 3 small potatoes, peeled and chopped

Recipe

Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ready Time: 1 hr 50 mins


• 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.
• 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.