Red Lentil Soup
Red Lentil Soup with Spinach is a delicious, Middle Eastern inspired Lentil Soup, made with red lentils, turmeric, spinach, carrots and lemon. It's golden in color, and very easy to make and leftovers are freezer-friendly.
Red Lentil Soup with Spinach is a delicious, Middle Eastern inspired Lentil Soup, made with red lentils, turmeric, spinach, carrots and lemon. It's golden in color, and very easy to make and leftovers are freezer-friendly.
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 2 medium carrots (diced)
- 2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
- 16 ounces red or yellow lentils (i used red) ((2 1/3 cups )
- 8 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 cups baby spinach (2 oz)
- Carbohydrate 1.46488967810344 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.516355625180918 g
- Fiber 0.113604592228476 g
- Protein 0.130376861550325 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0664415625249811 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (73g)
- Sodium 0.840448977767632 mg
- Sugar 1.35128508587496 g
- Trans Fat 0.0268823750048994 g
- Calories 9 calories
Step-by-step
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 2 medium carrots (diced)
- 2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
- 16 ounces red or yellow lentils (i used red) ((2 1/3 cups )
- 8 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 cups baby spinach (2 oz)
The ingredient list fails to mention how red lentils behave under sustained heat. Unlike green or brown varieties that retain their structural integrity, red lentils break down completely into a smooth purée as they simmer, thickening the liquid naturally without requiring added starches. Selecting broth dictates the final depth of the pot. Vegetable stock yields a cleaner, lighter flavor profile, whereas a robust bone broth provides gelatin that enriches the mouthfeel. Swapping yellow lentils for red ones changes nothing in terms of cooking time, but swapping canned pre-ground spices for freshly toasted seeds alters the aromatic baseline significantly. Ground cumin loses volatile oils quickly once milled, so crushing whole seeds in a mortar just before cooking yields a sharper fragrance. Turmeric stains porous surfaces instantly, meaning stainless steel or enameled vessels are preferable to raw aluminum. When incorporating spinach toward the end of the process, add the greens only in the final two minutes of simmering. Exposing spinach to prolonged heat breaks down its cell walls excessively, releasing iron compounds that turn the broth muddy and dull. Fresh lemon juice added off the heat preserves volatile citrus aromatics that otherwise evaporate during a rolling boil. Leftovers store safely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, or freeze for three months without separating if completely cooled before packing.
