Lebanese Lentil Soup
HEALTHY
Lebanese Lentil Soup is a rich, warming soup that combines red lentils, vegetables, curry powder, cumin and lemon juice. This soup is naturally gluten-free and vegan, is easy to make and freezes well for later!
BEANS: Try adding beans to accompany the lentils in this soup. Two options I love are chickpeas or white beans. VEGETABLES: You can add additional vegetables to this soup. Some options are bell peppers, cauliflower, jalapeños for spice, zucchini, potatoes or sweet potatoes. GARNISH: Garnishes are always a great way to take a soup to the next level. Some garnishes I love in this lentil soup is feta cheese {the soup won’t be vegan if you use feta}, fresh cilantro and parsley, Greek or plain yogurt swirled in to create a thicker, creamier soup. GRAIN: Sometimes I like to add a grain to my soups. Try brown rice, white rice or quinoa
COOKING TIPS AND VARIATIONS FOR THIS VEGGIE LENTIL SOUP
MEAT: If you want to add meat to your soup try adding sausage, diced chicken, ground pork or even some crispy bacon. BLEND: I like red lentils because they break down and become soft. With this soup I blend it with a hand held immersion blender. I blend all of the soup but some people prefer to just blend half of the soup.
Ingredients
– 1 medium onion, diced {about 2 cups} – 4 garlic cloves, minced – 2 carrots, peeled and diced – 2 celery, diced – 2 Tablespoons curry powder – 1/2 teaspoon cumin – 1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed until water runs clear – 8 cups vegetable broth – 1 lemon, juiced – Salt and pepper to taste – GARNISHES: – Crushed red pepper – Feta cheese – Greek yogurt – Cilantro – Extra lemon juice
Instructions
1. Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. 2. Sauté the onion and garlic until soft, about 2 minutes then add the spices and continue to sauté about 4 minutes. Add the carrots and sauté until carrots are tender, about 7-8 minutes. Add the celery and satue another 2 minutes. 3. Add the vegetable broth and lentils and stir to combine. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
Instructions
4. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. 5. Use an immersion blender and blend the soup to your liking. 6. Serve the soup with fresh cilantro, crushed red pepper and fresh lemon juice.
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