This collection of scrumptious lentil recipes are a great place to start and full of cooking inspiration. Here is a Mediterranean lentil soup that's full of flavor, definitely one of our staples.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time40 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: Green Lentil Recipes
Servings: 6
Author: Katia
Ingredients
1Tablespoonolive oil
1large onion, chopped (any color)
3-4celery ribs + leaves, chopped
1small bunch of cilantro, stems removed and chopped
1small bunch of flat leaf parsley, stems removed and chopped
1scant Tablespoon ground ginger
1teaspoon ground cinnamon
1teaspoon ground turmeric
½ – 1 teaspoonblack pepper, to taste
1 can (14oz/400 grams)canned tomatoes (whole, diced or sauce)
1 cup (7oz/200 grams) dried lentils, rinsed
2Tablespoonstomato 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)
2Tablespoonsall-purpose flour (optional)
To serve
1 lemon, cut into wedges (to serve)chopped cilantro
Instructions
Finely chop the onion, the celery and its leaves, the cilantro and parsley. You can use a food processor or a mini chopper to prep the ingredients quicker. If so, I would advice 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 is turning translucent (5 minutes).
Add the spices and stir to enhance all the flavors for about 1 minute.
Stir in the tomatoes, the lentils, the celery, the herbs, the broth and the 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.
Turn the heat off, taste and make sure 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 isHow to store the 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, then gently warm over medium-low heat or in your microwave. It's freezable too.