← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 300 g dried brown or green lentils, rinsed
• 200 g Mexican chorizo, casing removed
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 Carrot, diced
• 1 large potato, diced
• 400 g tomatoes (or 1 tin), blended
• 1.5 l chicken stock or water
• ½ tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Dried oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika or chipotle powder
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 handful Coriander (cilantro), chopped
• 1 lime, in wedges, to serve (optional)
• Salt

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and fry the chorizo for 5 min, breaking it up, until it releases its fat.
2. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 4 min, until soft. Stir in the cumin, oregano and paprika.
3. Pour in the blended tomatoes and cook for 5 min, until slightly darker.
4. Add the lentils and stock, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20 min.
5. Add the carrot and potato and simmer for 15 min more, until the lentils and vegetables are tender. Add water if it gets too thick and season with salt.
6. Stir in the coriander and serve with warm tortillas and a squeeze of lime.

Tips

• Some cooks swap the chorizo for crisp bacon, or fry in a sliced plantain at the end for sweetness.
• With chicken stock, check it is gluten-free if you need it to be (some stock cubes contain wheat).

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Maricruz Avalos Mexican Food Journal Mexico in My Kitchen