Hearty Lentil Soup with Vegetables and Lemon

Introduction

This is the soup I make on gloomy Sundays and eat all week for lunch. Lentils are cheap, nutritious, and cook without soaking, which puts this in the "you have no excuse" category of weeknight dinners. The magic step is a big squeeze of lemon juice at the very end — it lifts the earthy lentils out of stodgy territory and into something bright and almost addictive. It's naturally vegan, freezes brilliantly, and pairs perfectly with a hunk of crusty bread and a wedge of Greek village salad on the side.

Cooking your way through our archive? Don't miss our Roasted Tomato Basil Soup or our Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sage, and browse every soup recipe for more ideas.

Ingredients

• •3 tbsp olive oil
• •1 large onion, diced
• •2 large carrots, diced
• •2 celery stalks, diced
• •4 garlic cloves, minced
• •1 tbsp tomato paste
• •1 tsp ground cumin
• •1 tsp sweet paprika
• •1/2 tsp ground coriander
• •1 can (400 g) diced tomatoes
• •1 1/2 cups green or brown lentils, rinsed
• •1.75 L vegetable or chicken stock
• •2 bay leaves
• •Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• •2 big handfuls baby spinach (optional)
• •Juice of 1 large lemon
• •Fresh parsley, to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until softened, about 8 minutes.

2. 2

   Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, paprika and coriander. Stir for 1 minute until fragrant.

3. 3

   Add the canned tomatoes, lentils, stock, bay leaves and a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil.

4. 4

   Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30–35 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the soup has thickened.

5. 5

   Fish out the bay leaves. Stir in the spinach if using and let it wilt for 1 minute.

6. 6

   Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and lemon.

7. 7

   Ladle into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and finish with plenty of fresh parsley.

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

Nutrition is an approximation generated from ingredient databases and may vary based on brands and exact measurements.

Calories

310 kcal

Protein

18 g

Carbs

42 g

Fat

8 g