Lentil Soup with Lemon
Description
This lentil soup with lemon is a delicious purée of red lentils, aromatics, and spices. It can be blended fully or left a little chunky — it's up to you!
Ingredients
•
3 tablespoons olive oil
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1 large onion, chopped
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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1 tablespoon tomato paste
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1 teaspoon ground cumin
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1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
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1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1/8 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
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1 (32 ounce) carton chicken broth
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1 cup red lentils
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1 large carrot, diced
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2 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
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3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
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4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
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1 pinch chili powder
Directions
1
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon chili powder. Cook and stir until spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes.
2
Stir in chicken broth, lentils, and carrot. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.
3
Working in batches, fill a blender halfway with soup. Cover and hold the lid down with a potholder; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Pour into a pot. Repeat with the remaining soup. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and purée the soup right in the cooking pot. Do not purée all of the soup; leave it a little chunky.
4
Stir in lemon juice and cilantro, then season to taste with salt. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with chili powder, and serve.