Description
A hearty and flavorful lentil soup made with dried lentils, fresh vegetables, aromatic spices, and a touch of lemon for brightness, perfect for a comforting meal served with 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 / 1.5 quarts (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 + juice)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
To Serve
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Warm bread, to serve
Instructions
- Prepare the base: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped onion, cooking for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Cook the vegetables: Add the chopped celery and carrot to the pot. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes sweet. This slow cooking step develops the soup’s flavor base.
- Add remaining ingredients: Stir in the rinsed lentils, crushed tomato, vegetable or chicken stock, cumin, coriander, paprika, and bay leaves. Mix everything well.
- Simmer the soup: Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a simmer. Skim off any foam or scum that rises to the surface and discard it. Cover the pot with a lid, reduce heat to medium-low, and let it simmer gently for 35 to 40 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
- Remove bay leaves: Take out and discard the bay leaves from the soup.
- Thicken the soup: Use a stick blender to pulse 2 or 3 times to thicken the soup slightly. Alternatively, transfer about 2 cups of soup to a blender, allow it to cool a bit, blend until smooth, and return it to the pot. Adjust consistency with a touch of water if desired.
- Season and finish: Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Grate the zest of the lemon over the soup and squeeze in its juice just before serving for brightness.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with chopped fresh parsley, and serve with warm crusty bread slathered with butter if desired.
Notes
- Lentils: Use any dried lentils except Puy lentils, which hold their shape and are less suitable for this soup. Red, yellow, brown, or green lentils work well. Cooking times vary slightly, so check lentils starting at 30 minutes.
- For canned lentils: Use 2 cans (400g/14oz each), drained and rinsed. Reduce broth by 1 cup. Simmer the broth for 20 minutes before adding canned lentils, then cook another 15 minutes to avoid mushiness.
- Storage: This soup freezes well and keeps in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
- Serve with warm bread and butter for a comforting meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1 cup)
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 4.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 12 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
