Description
A nourishing and hearty Mediterranean lentil soup that’s packed with nutrients and flavor, perfect for chilly days.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 ½ cups brown or green lentils (rinsed)
- 6 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 can diced tomatoes (or 2 fresh, chopped)
- 2 cups fresh spinach or kale (optional)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, diced carrots, and celery. Cook for 5–7 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic, tomato paste, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and oregano. Cook for an additional 1–2 minutes until the spices are fragrant.
- Stir in the rinsed lentils, vegetable broth, bay leaf, and diced tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook covered for 25–30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Once lentils are cooked, stir in the spinach or kale until just wilted. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf before serving.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, garnishing with chopped parsley for a fresh touch. Serve warm with crusty bread or over rice.
Notes
Taste your broth before seasoning; it may already have enough salt. Leftovers taste even better as the flavors meld, so don’t hesitate to make a larger batch!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 12g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 0mg