Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Steps

1. 1

   1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

2. 2

   2. Stir in the cumin, turmeric, smoked paprika, and cayenne, toasting the spices for 30 seconds until fragrant.

3. 3

   3. Add the crushed tomatoes and broth, then stir in the rinsed lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, until lentils are completely soft.

4. 4

   4. Use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup, leaving some texture, or blend half the soup in a blender and stir it back in.

5. 5

   5. Stir in the lemon juice and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, add a splash of broth to loosen.

6. 6

   6. Ladle into bowls and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a scatter of fresh parsley and thyme.