A hearty Colombian lentil soup with potato, carrot and a garlicky herb finish, based on sopa de lentejas, everyday harbor-town comfort food.
Sopa de lentejas is standard lunch fare across Colombia, a simple, filling lentil soup built on a sofrito of onion, tomato, garlic and cumin, bulked out with potato and carrot until it's substantial enough to be a full meal rather than a starter. This version keeps that same everyday structure, finishing with a spoonful of fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime for brightness. The key technique is building the sofrito properly before the lentils go in - cooked down until the tomatoes break apart and the onions turn sweet - so the broth has real depth rather than tasting like plain boiled lentils and water.
Serves 4
Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Cook onion 6-7 minutes until soft, then add tomato and cook 4-5 minutes until it breaks down.
Stir in garlic and cumin, cook 1 minute until fragrant.
Add lentils, carrots, potato, water or stock, bay leaf and salt. Bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and vegetables are tender.
If the soup gets too thick as it cooks, add water a half-cup at a time to keep it a proper soup consistency, not a stew.
Remove the bay leaf, taste for salt, and ladle into bowls. Finish with chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges on the side.
Dice the potato and carrot into small, even pieces so they cook through at the same rate as the lentils.
Let the sofrito cook down properly before adding liquid - a rushed sofrito is the most common reason this soup tastes watery instead of rich.
A squeeze of lime right before eating makes a noticeable difference in brightening the flavor, so don't skip it.
Add diced chorizo or bacon to the sofrito step for a smokier, heartier version.
Stir in a handful of chopped spinach in the last 5 minutes for extra greens.
Blend a portion of the soup with an immersion blender for a thicker, creamier texture while keeping some whole lentils for bite.
Refrigerate up to 5 days; the soup thickens as it sits, so thin with a splash of water when reheating. Freezes well for up to 3 months.
Lentil soup is common comfort food across Colombia, particularly in Andean and coastal cities, and reflects the broader Latin American tradition of hearty legume soups built on a tomato-and-onion sofrito base.
No - unlike dried beans, lentils don't require soaking and cook fully within the simmer time given here.
Older lentils take longer to soften. Keep simmering in 5-minute increments and check again; adding salt too early can also slow their cooking slightly.
Yes - it's naturally vegan as written if you use vegetable stock instead of any meat-based stock.
Per serving (420g / 14.8 oz) · 4 servings total
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