Lemon Lentil Soup (Printer-friendly)
Hearty lentils, fresh vegetables, and zesty lemon come together in this comforting Mediterranean-style soup.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
02 - 2 medium carrots, diced
03 - 2 celery stalks, diced
04 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
→ Lentils
05 - 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed and picked over
→ Liquids
06 - 6 cups vegetable broth
→ Seasonings
07 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
10 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
11 - Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Finish
12 - Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
14 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
# How To Make It:
01 - Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, diced carrots, and diced celery. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and the onion turns translucent.
02 - Stir in the minced garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground turmeric, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute until deeply fragrant.
03 - Add the rinsed lentils and vegetable broth to the pot. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are completely tender.
04 - Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and chopped parsley. Season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
05 - For a creamier, silkier consistency, partially blend the soup using an immersion blender, leaving some lentils and vegetables intact for a rustic bite.
06 - Ladle the hot soup into individual bowls. Garnish with additional fresh parsley and an extra squeeze of lemon juice if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- Lemon juice stirred in at the end wakes up every single flavor in the pot, making it taste like something from a tiny seaside taverna.
- It costs almost nothing to make, freezes beautifully, and somehow tastes even better the next day when the spices have had time to mingle.
02 -
- Do not skip rinsing the lentils, those tiny pebbles and dust particles are real and will ruin an otherwise perfect bowl.
- Add the lemon juice off the heat or at the very end, if you add it too early the acid can keep the lentils from softening properly and you will be chewing on pebbly soup.
03 -
- Toast the cumin and coriander in the dry pot for thirty seconds before adding the oil, it deepens the flavor in a way that makes people ask what your secret is.
- Taste the soup after adding lemon juice and again after adding salt, they interact in surprising ways and you want both dialed in before serving.