Lentil Soup
intro
Warm, protein-packed Mediterranean lentil soup with earthy vegetables and aromatic spices, made in one pot for easy cleanup, deeply comforting on cold days.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep all ingredients
First, rinse 200g dried red lentils under cold running water in a fine-mesh sieve, picking out any small debris or discolored lentils. Dice the yellow onion, carrot, and celery into uniform 1cm pieces, mince 3 garlic cloves, and measure out all spices, tomato paste, broth, and lemon juice before heating the pot to avoid mid-cooking scrambling.
Sauté mirepoix base
Heat 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil in a heavy-bottomed 4L soup pot over medium heat (160C/325F). Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery, cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables soften and the onion turns translucent with light golden edges.
Toast spices and paste
Add the minced garlic, 30g (2 tbsp) tomato paste, 2g (1 tsp) ground cumin, and 1g (1/2 tsp) smoked paprika to the pot. Stir constantly for 1 minute over medium heat, until the tomato paste darkens to a deep rust color and the spices release a warm, earthy aroma—do not burn the garlic or spices, as this will create a bitter, off flavor in the finished soup.
Simmer lentils in broth
Add the rinsed red lentils and 1000ml (4 cups) vegetable broth to the pot, stir fully to combine. Turn heat to medium-high to bring the liquid to a rolling boil (4-5 minutes), then reduce heat to low (95C/200F), set the pot lid slightly ajar, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring once at the 10-minute mark to prevent lentils from sticking to the pot bottom.
Season and adjust texture
After 20 minutes of simmering, the lentils will be fully tender and partially broken down to create a naturally thick, creamy texture. Stir in 3g (1 tsp) kosher salt, 0.5g (1/4 tsp) black pepper, and 30ml (2 tbsp) fresh lemon juice. For a chunkier soup, leave as is; for a creamier texture, use an immersion blender to puree 1/3 of the soup directly in the pot, leaving plenty of soft lentil pieces for texture.
Garnish and serve hot
Ladle the hot soup into 4 pre-warmed ceramic bowls, top each serving with a pinch of chopped fresh parsley, an optional light drizzle of olive oil, and a small lemon wedge for extra squeezing. Serve immediately while hot, paired with crusty whole-grain bread if desired.
Tips
2.If using regular salted vegetable broth instead of low-sodium, cut the added kosher salt to 1.5g (1/2 tsp) initially, then taste and adjust seasoning at the end to avoid over-salting.
3.Lentil soup thickens dramatically as it cools; when reheating leftovers, stir in 30-45ml (2-3 tbsp) of water or extra broth per serving to thin it back to your preferred consistency.
OMG this soup is SO good! I threw it together on a busy weeknight after work and couldn’t believe it only took 40 minutes total. My 7 and 9 year old usually turn their noses up at lentils, but they asked for SECONDS. Served it with a side of crusty garlic bread for our family dinner and we had zero leftovers. 10/10 will be adding this to our weekly meal prep rotation!
Brought this to my neighborhood potluck last weekend and people were begging me for the recipe before we even got to dessert! It’s so hearty, even the diehard meat-eaters in the group said they didn’t miss the sausage or ground beef I usually dump in my lentil soup. Super easy to make a double batch too, which is perfect for feeding a crowd.
Really solid soup recipe, super easy to follow even for someone who burns toast half the time. I meal prepped 5 servings on Sunday and it held up great all week for work lunches. Only note is I wish it had a little more kick, so next time I’ll add a pinch of red pepper flakes when I sauté the veggies.
Game changer! I’ve been making boring, bland lentil soup for years and never thought to add sun-dried tomatoes and oregano like this recipe says. It tastes like something I’d order at my favorite Greek diner for $12 a bowl, and I made it in my own kitchen for pennies.
Made this last night when my in-laws stopped by unannounced and I had zero fancy ingredients in the pantry. I was panicking because I had nothing else to make, but I had a bag of lentils, a can of diced tomatoes, some sad carrots and celery in the crisper, and the random Mediterranean spices in my cabinet. It turned out so good my mother-in-law asked for the recipe to make for her book club! Wild.
Made a big batch of this before a 3-day backpacking trip and portioned it out into vacuum-sealed bags to reheat on our camp stove. It was so warm and filling after long days on the trail, way better than the overpriced dehydrated backpacking meals I usually stock up on. Even held up great when it got down to 30 degrees overnight in the bear canister. 10/10 for both at-home weeknights and backcountry trips!
Wait, is this really considered easy? I’m literally the worst cook ever, I can barely make boxed mac and cheese without burning it, and I followed the directions step by step and it came out perfect??? I didn’t even have to Google how to sauté veggies because the instructions were so clear. My roommate came home and thought I ordered takeout lmao. Obsessed.