Lemon Lentil Soup (Printable Version)
Hearty Mediterranean lentil soup with fresh vegetables, warm spices, and a bright zesty lemon finish.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
02 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
03 - 2 celery stalks, diced
04 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
→ Lentils
05 - 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed and sorted
→ 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 - 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 Steps:
01 - Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften 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 the spices are fragrant and toasted.
03 - Add the rinsed lentils and pour in the vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are fully tender.
04 - Remove the pot from heat and stir in the lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and chopped parsley. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
05 - For a creamier, smoother consistency, use an immersion blender to partially purée the soup directly in the pot, leaving some texture intact. Skip this step if you prefer a brothy, rustic soup.
06 - Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls. Garnish with additional fresh parsley and an extra squeeze of lemon juice if desired. Serve immediately.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- The lemon juice stirred in at the end wakes up every single spice and makes the broth taste almost electric.
- It costs almost nothing, reheats beautifully, and somehow tastes even better on day two.
- You probably have every ingredient sitting in your pantry right now.
02 -
- Salt your broth too early and the lentils will stay stubbornly firm, always season at the end.
- The lemon juice loses its brightness if you boil it, so only add it once the heat is off.
03 -
- Sort through your lentils before rinsing because tiny stones hide in those bags more often than you would expect.
- Toasting the cumin in the dry pot for thirty seconds before adding oil takes the flavor from good to restaurant quality.