Description
This flavourful, Mediterranean Lentil Soup recipe is vegan, gluten-free, low fat and a simple recipe with basic 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!
Ingredients
1 pound brown or large green lentils, rinsed and picked over
10 cups vegetable broth or water
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
2 tsp. whole coriander seeds
1 and 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground turmeric
2 and 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 bay leaves
2 medium potatoes (1 and 1/4 lbs.), scrubbed and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
10 ounces baby spinach, chopped
3 cups peeled, seeded and diced butternut squash (1/2-inch cubes)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (red or yellow)
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. salt
Ground fresh pepper to taste
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 lemons
Instructions
- Rinse lentils and remove any skins or discoloured lentils.
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, combine lentils, vegetable broth (or water), jalapeño pepper, coriander seeds, cumin, turmeric, oregano and bay leaves.
- 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.
- Add the butternut squash, potatoes and spinach and cook over low heat another 15-20 minutes. (Cooking too high will result in the vegetables to be mushy).
- Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat olive oil. Cook onion, celery and garlic over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until softened.
- Add the onion mixture to the soup and stir it into the soup.
- 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)
- Add in salt and pepper and test for flavour.
- Add in 1/3 cup lemon juice and stir well to combine. (Don’t skip this step! It literally takes this soup from great to amazing)!
- Serve with lemon wedges. A fresh squeeze of lemon to taste in each serving is absolutely delightful.
Notes
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.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 and 1/2 cups
- Calories: 108
- Sugar: 6.1 g
- Sodium: 694.4 mg
- Fat: 2.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 21.1 g
- Fiber: 3.9 g
- Protein: 2.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
