Description
A warm and comforting lemon lentil soup that captures the essence of home cooking with red lentils, fresh vegetables, and zesty lemon.
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 3 large carrots (peeled and sliced)
- 2 stalks celery (chopped)
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 1/2 cups red lentils
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Juice from 1 lemon (about 5 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Optional: spinach or kale
- To top: parsley or cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion, chopped celery, and sliced carrots; sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the vegetable stock, followed by red lentils, bay leaves, turmeric, and cumin; stir to combine.
- Increase heat to medium-high until boiling, then reduce to medium-low to simmer and cover pot. Simmer for 12-15 minutes until lentils are soft.
- Stir in lemon juice, zest, salt, and black pepper.
- Transfer 2 cups of soup into a blender and blend until smooth; return to pot. Alternatively, use an immersion blender.
- If desired, add spinach or kale and cook 2-3 minutes until wilted.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary before serving.
Notes
For added creaminess, you can blend in coconut milk at the end. Allow to cool before storing leftovers in the refrigerator for up to five days.
