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Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup

Standard · 55 min · Serves 4 · Mediterranean

Dietary: vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free

A hearty soup of green or brown lentils, carrot and celery in a light tomato broth spiced with paprika, cumin and coriander, thickened with a quick blitz and finished with lemon.

Ingredients

For 4 servings

Soup

  • 1.5 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, small, chopped
  • 2 clove garlic, small, minced
  • 1 carrot, medium, chopped (about ¾ cup)
  • 1 celery, large rib, chopped (about ¾ cup)
  • 270 g green lentil, dried, or brown; rinsed. Not Puy (French) lentils, which hold their shape
  • 270 g crushed tomato, about ⅔ of a 400 g (14 oz) can
  • 1000 ml vegetable stock, low-sodium
  • 0.25 tsp cumin, ground
  • 0.25 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 bay leaf, dried
  • 0.25 tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste

To serve

  • 1 lemon, small, for its zest and juice
  • 5 g parsley, chopped, to garnish (optional)

Steps

Soup

  1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 2 minutes.
  2. Add the celery and carrot and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until softened and the onion smells sweet. Don't rush this step: it's the flavor base of the soup.
  3. Add the lentils, crushed tomato, stock, cumin, coriander, paprika, bay leaf and pepper, holding back the salt and lemon, and stir.
  4. Turn up the heat and bring to a simmer, skimming off and discarding any scum on the surface (and again during cooking if more rises). Cover, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, until the lentils are soft.
  5. Take out the bay leaf. Give the soup 2 or 3 quick whizzes with a stick blender to thicken it, keeping most of the lentils whole. Or ladle about 325 ml (1⅓ cups) into a blender, let it cool a little, and blend it with a tea towel held over the lid, then stir it back into the pot.

To serve

  1. Add a splash of water if you'd like it thinner, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Just before serving, grate over the lemon zest and add a squeeze of the juice, then garnish with parsley, if using.
  2. It keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days, and freezes very well for about 3 months.

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