This fragrant Mediterranean lentil soup uses pantry staple and is totally delicious. The lentils cook in athick tomato broth infused with warming ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and fresh aromatic herbs.Recipe yields 6 servings ( 1 ¼ cup each)
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time40 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: Mediterranean lentil soup
Servings: 6
Calories: 181kcal
Author: Katia
Ingredients
1 Tablespoonolive oil
1large onion, chopped (any color)
3-4 celery ribs + leaves, chopped
1small bunch of cilantro, stems removed and chopped
1small bunch of flat leaf parsley, stems removed and chopped
1 scantTablespoonground ginger
1teaspoonground cinnamon
1teaspoonground turmeric
⅓teaspoonground cumin
½ - 1teaspoonblack pepper, to taste
1 can(14oz/400 grams)canned tomatoes (whole, diced or sauce)
1 cup(7oz/200 grams)dried lentils, rinsed
2Tablespoontomato paste (optional)
5 cups(1200 ml)low-sodium vegetable broth, plus more if you prefer a thinner soup
1 ¼teaspoonfine salt, or according to taste
¼ cup(60 ml)water (optional)
2Tablespoonall-purpose flour (optional)
To serve
1lemon, cut into wedges (to serve)
chopped cilantro
Instructions
Finely chop the onion, the celery, and its leaves, the cilantro, and the parsley. You can use a food processor or a mini chopper to prep the ingredients quickly. If so, I would advise to blend the tomatoes to get a smoother texture.
Warm the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion turns translucent (5 minutes).
Add the spices and stir to enhance all the flavors for about 1 minute.
Stir in the tomatoes, lentils, celery, herbs, broth, and tomato paste. Raise the heat and bring to the boil. Then reduce to maintain a gentle simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 35-40 minutes or until the lentils are done. Stir occasionally.
Add flour and water to a jam jar and shake. Add this flour and water mixture to the soup, add the salt, stir, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Alternatively, use an immersion blender to thicken the soup partially and preserve the chunkiness at the same time.
Turn the heat off, taste it, and ensure you're happy with the seasoning and the consistency. Feel free to add a touch of water if you prefer a thinner soup, and adjust the seasoning with more salt or black pepper if you wish.
Serve with fresh lemon juice, chopped cilantro, and crusty bread.
Notes
Salt: if you use regular vegetable broth or chicken broth rather than low-sodium broth, it’s important that you taste it and adjust the seasoning at the end, as you don’t know how salty the broth is.
Mediterranean lentil soup leftovers: it keeps in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat, add a touch of water until it’s thinned to the desired consistency, then gently warm over medium-low heat or in your microwave. It keeps well in the freezer, in an airtight container, for up to 1 month.
Freezable: it freezes well, too, and the thickening mixture of flour and water doesn't affect the texture once the soup is thawed.
Nutrition facts: the nutrition values are for one serving and are based on an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only and it should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please see my disclosure policies.