Hearty Lentil Soup (Printable Version)

Warming, protein-rich lentil and vegetable soup with cumin, smoked paprika and lemon; ready in about an hour.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 carrots, diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, drained

→ Legumes

07 - 1 1/2 cups dried brown or green lentils, rinsed

→ Liquids

08 - 6 cups vegetable broth
09 - 1 bay leaf

→ Seasonings

10 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
11 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
13 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
14 - Salt, to taste
15 - Juice of 1 lemon
16 - Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until vegetables are softened.
02 - Stir in garlic, cumin, paprika, and coriander. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add lentils, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaf, black pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 35-40 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
05 - Remove bay leaf. Stir in lemon juice and adjust seasoning to taste.
06 - For a creamier texture, partially blend the soup with an immersion blender.
07 - Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It costs almost nothing to make and feeds you like royalty for days.
  • The cumin and smoked paprika combination makes it taste far more complex than the effort involved.
  • It freezes beautifully, so you can stash portions for lazy nights when cooking feels impossible.
02 -
  • Salt the broth lightly at the start, then adjust at the end because lentils absorb salt differently depending on their age.
  • The soup thickens considerably as it sits, so add a splash of water or broth when reheating leftovers.
03 -
  • Rinse the lentils under cold water and pick through them for tiny pebbles, because nothing ruins soup like biting into a stone.
  • Add the lemon juice off the heat so its brightness stays vivid rather than cooking away into bitterness.

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