Lentejas

Rinse dried lentils well, remove any debris, and place in a medium to large pot with a lid. Add 4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth. Or you can use water and broth. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium and boil the lentils for 10 minutes.

While the lentils are cooking, place the sliced tomatoes, onion, garlic and 1 cup of the broth in a blender. Blend until smooth. Peel and cut the potatoes into even cubes.

After 10 minutes of boiling the lentils, add the blended tomato sauce, diced potatoes, and whole cilantro. Bring the heat back to a low boil, cover and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Check the lentils, if they are still hard, put the lid back on and continue cooking over low heat. Once the lentils and potatoes are soft, the soup is ready. Taste the seasoning and see if additional salt is needed. You can remove the cilantro stems or leave them in the soup.

Serve Lentil Soup with chopped fresh cilantro, hot sauce, a squeeze of lime, queso fresco, or diced avocado