Description
A hearty and flavorful Lentil Soup made with aromatic spices, fresh vegetables, and tender green or brown lentils simmered to perfection. This comforting soup features a rich base of sautéed onions, garlic, carrots, and celery, enhanced with cumin, coriander, paprika, and fresh lemon zest and juice. It’s thickened slightly with a quick blend for a creamy texture and served garnished with fresh parsley alongside warm crusty bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped (white, brown, or yellow)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large carrot, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 2 celery ribs, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 2 cups / 400g dried lentils, green or brown, rinsed
- 400g / 14 oz crushed tomato
- 1.5 litres / 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock/broth, low sodium
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika powder
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 lemon (zest and juice)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
To Serve
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Warm bread, to serve
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped onion, and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant and starting to soften.
- Cook Vegetables: Add the chopped celery and carrot to the pot. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the onion becomes sweet. This slow cooking step builds the flavor base of the soup.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Stir in the rinsed lentils, crushed tomato, vegetable or chicken stock, cumin, coriander, paprika, and dried bay leaves. Mix well to combine all the flavors.
- Simmer Soup: Increase the heat to bring the soup to a simmer. Skim off any foam or scum that rises to the surface, then cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the soup simmer gently for 35 to 40 minutes until the lentils are tender and cooked through. Skim foam again if needed during cooking.
- Remove Bay Leaves: Once cooked, remove and discard the bay leaves from the soup.
- Thicken Soup: Use a stick blender to pulse 2 or 3 times to thicken the soup slightly, or transfer about 2 cups of soup to a blender, cool slightly, blend until smooth, and return it to the pot. Add a splash of water if needed to reach desired consistency.
- Season and Finish: Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Grate the lemon zest over the soup and squeeze in fresh lemon juice just before serving to brighten the flavors.
- Serve: Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve hot with warm crusty bread buttered generously on the side.
Notes
- Lentils: This recipe works well with any lentils except Puy lentils, which hold their shape and won’t soften suitably. Use red, yellow, brown, or green lentils depending on your preference. Adjust cooking time as needed, checking from 30 minutes onward.
- For canned lentils: Use 2 cans (400g/14oz each), drained and rinsed. Reduce broth by 1 cup, simmer broth for 20 minutes before adding canned lentils, then cook for 15 minutes to avoid overcooking and mushiness.
- Storage: Soup freezes very well or keeps refrigerated for 3 to 5 days.
- Serve with warm crusty bread slathered with butter for a comforting meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 12 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
