Ingredients
- 1 cup lentils, rinsed
- 3 roma tomatoes, cut in halves
- 1/2 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon 2 garlic cloves
- 1 guajillo pepper, deseeded and deveined
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/4 white onion 6 cups water, divided
- Small bunch of cilantro
- 1 heaping teaspoon vegetable bouillon paste, more to taste
- Salt to taste
Garnishes
- Nopalitos
- Queso fresco
- Chopped cilantro
Directions
- In a medium pan over medium heat, add olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, red bell pepper, and onion. Cook until lightly browned and softened, then remove from heat.
- Transfer the sautéed vegetables with oil drippings to a blender cup. Add 1 cup water, vegetable bouillon, cumin powder, and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the blended sauce into a large pot over medium heat and bring to a slow simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 5 cups of water, lentils, and cilantro bunch. Taste and adjust with more bouillon if needed. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
- In the same pan used for the vegetables, add 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat
- Toast the guajillo pepper, flipping often to prevent burning. Remove as soon as it lightly toasts. Cut into thin strips with kitchen scissors.
- Serve hot and garnish with nopalitos, guajillo pepper strips, queso fresco, and cilantro.