Lemon Lentil Soup
Servings 5 to 6 servings
This Lemon Lentil Soup makes for a hearty, nutritious and flavour packed soup perfect for the whole family. It can be prepared in less than 30 minutes and also makes a great freezer meal! {Vegan & gluten-free}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 medium carrots diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 celery stalks diced (about 3/4 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 1/2 cups dry green or brown lentils rinsed
- 6 cups no salt-added vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp lemon juice (or more, to taste)
- Salt and pepper to taste
To garnish:
- fresh cilantro finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook over medium heat for approximately five minutes or until vegetables are fragrant and have softened.
- Add cumin, lentils and broth to the saucepan, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until lentils are tender and soup is beginning to thicken, about 20-30 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth, or leave some chunks, if desired. Alternatively, you can transfer some of the soup into a blender to puree it. I like to keep mine a little bit chunky. Add extra broth to thin it out if necessary. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir. Taste and adjust flavours according to your preferences. Serve sprinkled with fresh cilantro and a sprinkle of parmesan or feta cheese, if desired.
Notes
- I suggest using a no-salt added or reduced sodium broth for the soup and adjusting the seasoning at the end. If we're serving this to our baby or toddler, I'll leave out the salt altogether to limit their sodium intake, and my husband and I will season our own portions accordingly.
- You can leave the soup slightly chunky or puree it until completely smooth. I usually puree it using my immersion blender leaving it slightly chunky for some added texture. You may need to adjust the amount of broth after pureeing it until you achieve your desired consistency.
- If you don't own an immersion blender, you can also use a regular blender to puree a portion of the soup. If you opt for this method, be sure to puree the soup in batches and never fill the blender more than half way full to prevent the soup from exploding out of the blender, which can not only create a huge mess but may also result in a burn.
- You can also double or triple this recipe and freeze the soup in freezer-safe containers for future use. Another huge time-saving strategy for getting healthy meals on the table FAST.
- Although this recipe is filling on its own, I love serving it with some baked crispy pita chips. To make them, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut pita bread into quarters and each quarter in half to make 8 triangles. Place the wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet and brush lightly with some olive oil, minced garlic and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Bake for about 10 minutes, until crisp, turning once.
Nutrition
Calories: 272kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 17gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 25mgPotassium: 684mgFiber: 20gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 4128IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 5mg
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