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Simple Red Lentil Soup

Red lentil soup
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4.6 from 14 reviews

This simple red lentil soup recipe is bursting with flavor! It’s hearty and cozy, flavored with aromatic vegetables and lemon.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 large carrots
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 3 celery ribs
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 quarts vegetable broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 pound split red lentils*
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • Greek yogurt or sour cream (or cashew cream for vegan), for serving

  • Cilantro, for serving

Instructions

  1. Peel the carrots. Finely dice the carrot, onion, and celery. Mince the garlic.
  2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery, and sauté until the carrots are tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Stir in the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the broth, water, red lentils, smoked paprika, lemon zest, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
  4. Bring to a low simmer, then cover halfway and gently simmer until the lentils are just soft but before they start to break apart, about 7 to 10 minutes. Watch closely and taste to assess doneness. The finished soup should be brothy with the lentils just soft; cooking past this point yields a very thick stew which is just as delicious but less soup-like. (If you’d like, you can add handfuls of greens in the last few minutes, like chopped spinach or kale). 
  5. Taste and add additional salt to taste, and a few grinds black pepper. The soup lasts up to 1 week refrigerated (you can also freeze for up to 3 months). Leftovers can become very thick, so you can add a little water or broth when reheating.

Notes

*Most of what you’ll find in stores are split red lentils, even if it doesn’t specify split on the package. Avoid buying whole red lentils. 

Want it creamy? Stir in 1/2 cup coconut milk. 

Find it online: https://www.acouplecooks.com/red-lentil-soup/