This Colombian-Style Lentil Soup is filling, comforting and full of flavor. I like to serve it with with white rice and avocado on the side.
This Colombian Style Lentil Soup is a standard in a lot of Colombian kitchens, the Colombian chorizo sausage gives the soup extra flavor. But if you are looking for a healthier lentil soup recipe just omit the chorizo.
This is a very substantial soup that would make a comforting meal-in-a-bowl served with avocado and white rice. This lentil soup recipe is very easy to make, a wonderful weeknight meal.
What You'll Need to Make this Recipe
This soup is made with lentils, potatoes, vegetables, spices, herbs and Colombian chorizo, but you can omit it if you don't like it or find it and add beef, bacon or pork instead.
Cooking Tips
Also if you want to make this recipe with a different kind of chorizo. Try kielbasa, Mexican chorizo or Italian sausage, they will work here too (hot or mild).
I also added a cream mixture recipe below in case you want to drizzled it on top of your lentil soup before serving, but that is optional and not the traditional way to serve this soup in Colombia.
To store this lentil soup, place leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you want to freeze it, store soup in an container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Be sure the container is freezer friendly. When you are ready to use it thaw overnight in the fridge or before reheating.
To reheat the soup, place the soup in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat until warm or reheat it the microwave.
If you love lentils recipes like I do, here are some of my favorites:
Lentils Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup chorizo sliced
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup chopped scallions
- ½ cup chopped tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 5 cups water
- 1 ½ cup dried lentils
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup grated carrots
- ½ cup potato cut into bite-sized pieces
Cilantro Cream
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Cook the chorizo in the oil in a large pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a plate lined with paper towel.
- Add the carrots, onion, garlic, tomato and scallions to the pot, season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally about 12 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook 1 more minute.
- Add the lentils and water, bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium low, cover and cook until the lentils become tender but not mushy about 45 minutes.
- Add chorizo and potatoes, cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are fully cooked and fork tender, thin with water if necessary. Ladle into soup bowls and top with cream if using and serve immediately.
Cilantro cream
- If you are adding cream to the lentil soup. Mix all the ingredients for the cream and set aside. Drizzle the soup with it before serving.
5 Star Foodie
I love chorizo sausage and would really love this soup - it sounds excellent!
bakergirlcreations
Love chorizo and have been looking for a new lentil soup to try! Sounds good.
Kimberly
Thank you! This soup was PERFECT! My husband really enjoyed it.
Erica
Hi Kimberly,
Thank you very much for your feedback 🙂
Bruce
Delicious! I made this for my Colombian wife while she was at work on a cold winter day. When she arrived home and tasted this soup, she was in heaven. Thank you Kimberly.
Lori
I made this soup for my family and we loved it. I followed all the steps and it was perfect.
PJ
This soup is filling my house with a lovely scent! I make a soup to share with the working parents who come to my knitting group every Monday, so I am always on the lookout for a new twist on an old favorite. This is delicious with or without the cilantro cream. Thank you for putting Colombian recipes within reach and helping us make them taste authentic.
You take me back to my college roommate's mother's house in Bogota. Arepas for breakfast, soups for lunch, onces and other treats fill my memories. Now I can make them for my family and take them with me down memory lane. Muchas Gracias!
Marika
I just came across your recipe and am eager to try it. How much cumin is in the soup? It says when to stir it in, but it's not in the list of ingredients. Thanx
Erica Dinho
1/4 teaspoon
Denise Williams
Thanks so much Erica for this recipe. My daughter-in-law is Colombian and she makes this for us all the time and we love the dish. I'll be able to surprise her with it for a change. She also uses a ham hock and cooks it with soaked lentils for an hour and a half before adding the other ingredients.
It's always absolutely delicious.
Martin Osorio
I'm Colombian-American and THIS IS IT!
I made this with a few modifications. First and most importantly, I used 4 cups beef broth, 2 cups water, and a 1/2 teaspoon of hondashi granules instead of the 5 cups water the recipe calls for. I also used bratwurst since Colombian chorizo is hard to find, and Mexican chorizo is not correct for this. I added a little extra carrot, and put the potato in at the beginning (therefore skipping the additional 20 minutes). Must serve with rice, avocado, and cilantro! (I skipped the cream entirely.)
Adriana Gutierrez
I agree this is so 100% Colombian flavor. When I lived in Atlanta I could buy excellent Colombian chorizos from at our mega ethic Buford Highway Farmers Market. By coincidence today I bought the ingredients to make a batch myself!
Luis
Add couple spoon of white plane flour before coocking. It gives it more texture. You will love it
Adriana Gutierrez
Hungry Jack plain Instant mashed potatoes is my preferred thickening agent. It is my secret ingredient in Ajiaco too.
Jorge
Hi, Is this the typical "lentejas Colombianas" or just lentil soup? Looking to make the typical "Colombian lentejas". Thx!
Traci
Absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing! I served mine with sliced avocado. The recipe is one of the best I've had!
Lynette
Do you have to soak the lentils ahead? If so for how long and any tips?
Erica Dinho
You don't have to soak the lentils. Wash and rinse very good!
Lynette
Thx! So excited to make then for the first time. My abuelita use to make this all the time 🙂 this meal will bring back some amazing memories.
Adriana Gutierrez
No need to soak lentils they cook very quickly, like in 20 minutes.
Martin Osorio
No need to soak the lentils.
Adriana Gutierrez
No soakimg required, they cook in 20 minutes.
Larissa
I cooked this for dinner tonigh was super
Gracias
Anna
Is it cured chorizo or fresh chorizo
Mike
I have used cured chorizo sliced and browned but I have also cut the casing and removed the stuff on the inside, browned that and added it in. My family liked both ways but seemed to prefer the second method.
Martin Osorio
You can't really get Colombian chorizo in the US, and both Mexican and Spanish chorizo is very wrong here.
For something easy to get, try bratwurst.
Adriana Gutierrez
In Atlanta, Miami and Queens you can get it frozen.
Cristina
I made this last night and it was THE best. My son (who is 7) is very picky and devoured this dish. Thank you!!!
Angela
I made this for my Colombian husband, he took a bite, and told me it was just like what his mother makes. Perfect!
Nohora
After my son sent me the My Colombian Recipes web, I haven't stop
practicing your recipes.., your recipes are the closest as the way mom taught me, is like I have her with me....Thanks
Karina
I love your recipes. I'm half Colombian myself and this recipie I very similar to my moms. I want to know if adding sweet potato rather than white potato and if would change the taste?
Erica Dinho
Yes!
Charlene
When do you add the tomatoes?
Adriana Gutiérrez
This was another winning recipe, Erika. I doubled the amount of cumin based on personal preference, otherwise it was perfect!
Laura
This soup was delish, my husband loved it also and he loves his hometown recipe but this one has been bump to the top of our list! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Carrie
Could I use chicken broth instead of water? Would this be good?
Erica Dinho
Yes.
Martin Osorio
Yes, beef broth is even better.
Adriana Gutiérrez
I have made this recipe with both Colombian chorizo and grilled Italian sausage. If at all possible go out of your way to locate Colombian sausage as the recipe is so much better with it. If you can't find Colombian chorizo, a good second choice would be dried Spanish sausage.
(In Atlanta we have a choice of several brands of Colombian sausage, and morcilla, in the freezer section of the Buford Highway Farmer's Market).
Daniela
I donr have easy access to Colombian sausage, I do it with pork, turkey and beef polska kielbasa. Enjoy!
Ally
Everything I've made from the recepies on here has tasted like back home. I loved this lentil soup, super tasty and filling.
Steff
If I leave out the chorizo, should I add any extra flavoring to my soup? Perhaps some Maggi?
Ramiro
Amo tus recetas colombianas. Graciasss
Eric
Wonderful recipe, having cooked lentils in spain, i would have never thought to toast the vegetables before making the broth with the lentils. Only thing is I would suggest to add the patatos earlier so they break down and make the broth thicker.
Missy
Hi! How much cumin is put in the soup? I don’t see it in the directions only for the cilantro cream. Thank you.
Carla
Wow! This sounds absolutely scrumptious! Was just surfing the net looking at stuff about different Goya seasonings and came across your site. Glad I decided to visit. I love lentil soup but am tired of the "same 'ol, same 'ol ones I've been making for years. I can't wait to try yours. Thank you so much for sharing this. Stay safe and God bless.
llentab
Eres un grandisimo redactor... Muchas gracias, Un saludo
Bob Havlu
My wife's family is Colombian (Cali & Bogota). For the last 30 years have been eating this with white rice on a regular basis. I have picked up the cooking and love making the recipes on this site as they really do mimic the Colombian cooking we have enjoyed for years. Doing most of the cooking, I found that pressure cooking a chuck roast and using the juice from the meat in this recipe adds a ton of flavor. I use the meat then to make empanadas and taquitos - this makes three days worth of delicious food!