Mediterranean Lentil Soup

This flavourful, Mediterranean Lentil Soup recipe is vegan, gluten-free, low fat and a simple recipe with basic fresh ingredients. Don’t let the simplicity fool you! It is an absolutely delicious vegetable lemon soup! Serve this soup with a slice of bread and you’ve got dinner on the table!

For more easy soup recipes, try my butternut squash soup, brocolli cheddar soup and slow cooker potato soup

this recipe!

Greek Lentil & Spinach Soup With Lemon

This is officially my new favourite soup recipe!! it’s filled with delicious, healthy ingredients. lentils, butternut squash, onions, spinach, potatoes and more!

My husband “There’s a recipe here for Lentil Soup, and there’s a nurse who loved it so much he ate it every day for lunch for 17 years”! I felt like the universe was telling me to make this soup!

I discovered that the original recipe came from Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread by Crescent Dragonwagon. Workman Publishing, 1992 and the post on Twitter is from The Washington Post.

The first time I made this recipe, we all loved it. The layers of flavour and how filling and satisfying and healthy this soup is makes this recipe a keeper that I wanted to share.

Ingredients

• Lentils – dried lentils
• Celery – chopped
• Garlic Cloves – minced
• Spinach – I try to use fresh spinach when I can, but find it really handy to have frozen spinach in the freezer. You can use either in this recipe.
• Lemons & Lemon Juice – For this recipe, you’ll definitely want to use fresh lemons and not the bottled lemon juice.
• Butternut Squash & Potatoes – If you are using newer potatoes with a thin skin, then leave the skin on for the added nutrition and flavour. If the skins are thicker, you will definitely want to peel them.
• Turmeric – I added 1 tsp. of ground turmeric to this recipe with great results.
• Onions – You can use red, yellow or sweet onions in this recipe. I tested all three and prefer the red onions but they all work.
• Vegetable Stock
• Herbs & Spices

How To Make Mediterranean Lentil Soup

Step One – In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, combine lentils, vegetable broth (or water), jalapeño pepper, coriander seeds, cumin, turmeric, oregano and bay leaves. 

Step Two – Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer, partly covered for 30 minutes. Test the lentils as they should be soft after 30 minutes.

Step Three – Add in the cubed butternut squash.

Step Four – Add in the potatoes

Step Five – Next, add in the fresh or frozen spinach.

Step Six – Cook over low heat another 15-20 minutes. Potato and squash should be soft but not mushy!

Step Seven – Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat olive oil. Cook onion, celery and garlic over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until softened , then add it to the soup.

Step Eight – Add 1/2 cup of water to the skillet to deglaze and add this liquid to the soup. (swirl it around to get all of that good essence and flavour) – YUM!

Step Nine – Add in salt & pepper and taste – add more if desired.

Step Ten – Add in 1/3 cup of lemon juice and stir slowly until combined.

Serve with lemon wedges for each serving. Enjoy!

Storage And Reheating Instructions

Store using an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

Reheat on the stovetop over a low heat or in the microwave using 30 second intervals until warmed through.

The recipe was adapted from Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread by Crescent Dragonwagon. Workman Publishing, 1992.