Description
A hearty and flavorful Lentil Soup made with dried lentils, fresh vegetables, and aromatic spices. This comforting recipe features a rich base of sautéed onion, garlic, carrot, and celery simmered with crushed tomatoes, cumin, coriander, and paprika. Finished with a touch of lemon zest and juice, it’s perfect served with warm crusty bread for a nourishing and satisfying meal.
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 and juice)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
To Serve
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Warm crusty bread, to serve
- Butter, for slathering on bread
Instructions
- Heat the oil and sauté aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped onion, cooking for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add vegetables: Stir in the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and the onion becomes sweet. This slow sauté develops a rich flavor base.
- Add lentils and spices: Add rinsed dried lentils, crushed tomato, vegetable or chicken stock, cumin, coriander, paprika, and dried bay leaves to the pot. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
- Simmer the soup: Increase the heat and bring the soup to a simmer. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface and discard it. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let it simmer gently for 35 to 40 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
- Remove bay leaves: Once lentils are soft, remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Thicken the soup: Use a stick blender to pulse 2-3 quick whizzes in the soup to thicken it slightly. Alternatively, remove about 2 cups of soup, blend it in a blender until smooth, then stir it back into the pot. Adjust consistency with water if needed.
- Season and finish: Season with salt and pepper to taste. Grate the lemon zest over the soup, then squeeze in fresh lemon juice. Stir and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
- Serve: Serve the lentil soup hot accompanied by warm crusty bread generously slathered with butter.
Notes
- Lentils: Use any dried lentils except Puy lentils, as these hold shape and won’t break down to thicken the soup. Red, yellow, brown, or green lentils all work well. Cooking times vary slightly; check softness around 30 minutes.
- For canned lentils, use two 400g cans (drained and rinsed), reduce broth by 1 cup, simmer broth alone for 20 minutes then add lentils and cook 15 minutes more to avoid mushy texture.
- Storage: This soup freezes very well and keeps in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
- Nutrition information is per serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 421g
- Calories: 311
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 111mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 22g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
