Middle Eastern Red Lentil Lemon Soup
Lemon lentil soup is bright, cozy, and nourishing—tender lentils simmered with warm spices and finished with fresh lemon for a silky, sunny bowl.
Prep Time
45 mins
Difficulty
Easy
Servings
5 - 8 People
Recipe Gallery
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium brown onion, diced small
2 large stalks celery, diced small
2 large carrots, diced small
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
2 cups water
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1 cup red lentils
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ medium or 3 tablespoons preserved lemon, skin only, diced
½ Meyer lemon
Instructions
In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the onion, celery and carrot. Cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Toss in the ground coriander, cumin, paprika and turmeric and cook for another minute.
Add the water, vegetable broth, tomato paste and thyme. Stir to combine and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the red lentils, sea salt and preserved lemon and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
Turn off the heat and use an immersion or “stick” blender and blend for 10–15 seconds until smooth. Alternately, if using a blender or food processor, add half of the soup to the container and blend until smooth.
Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for 5 minutes. The soup should be a bit chunky and the lentils soft and tender. Add a little more water if the soup is too thick. Squeeze the juice of the Meyer lemon over the soup (use a strainer to prevent seeds) and serve immediately with toasted pita if desired.
Chef's Tips
Add the lemon at the end of cooking to keep the soup bright and balanced—heat dulls citrus, so finishing with lemon makes all the difference.