Description
A comforting and flavorful Creamy Red Lentil Soup that is vegan and bursting with Middle Eastern spices. This easy-to-make soup is hearty, nutritious, and perfect for a cozy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
For the soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups dried red lentils, rinsed
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- Heat olive oil: In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil. Sauté onion, garlic, and carrots until softened.
- Add spices: Stir in salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and smoked paprika. Cook until fragrant.
- Cook lentils: Add red lentils, vegetable broth, and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer until lentils are soft.
- Blend: Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until creamy. Alternatively, transfer in batches to a blender.
- Finish: Stir in lemon juice, adjust seasoning, and garnish with cilantro or parsley before serving.
Notes
- For a richer soup, stir in 1/2 cup coconut milk after blending.
- This soup freezes well for up to 3 months and reheats beautifully.
- For extra texture, reserve a small portion of cooked lentils before blending and stir them back in.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 12 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
