Red Lentil & Garbanzo Bean Soup
This is one of my husband’s all-time favorite soups. Every time he eats the last drop of this soup, he asks me when I am going to cook it again…Nellie
This is one of my husband’s all-time favorite soups. Every time he eats the last drop of this soup, he asks me when I am going to cook it again…Nellie
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 t ground coriander
- 1 c dried lentils rinsed
- 2 c garbanzo beans cooked
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1 t fresh ginger grated
- 2 t flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 2 t mint chopped
- 1 lime, juice and zest
- 8 c vegetable stock
- 1/2 t cumin
- 1 t turmeric
- red pepper & salt to taste
- Carbohydrate 63.1912109646627 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.81490538217848 g
- Fiber 13.2558595395026 g
- Protein 12.6490336335939 g
- Saturated Fat 0.202051461203948 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1510g)
- Sodium 5647.49335325601 mg
- Sugar 49.9353514251601 g
- Trans Fat 0.423110151621273 g
- Calories 311 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat oil in a large soup pan.
- Add onion, celery, and salt.
- Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, parsley, cooking and stirring, another 2 minutes.
- Add lentils and boiling vegetable broth.
- Bring to boil, cook 20 minutes or until lentils are tender.
- Thin soup with broth, if needed.
- Add tomatoes, cooked garbanzo beans [rinse and drain, if using canned], coriander, cumin, red pepper and cook 10 minutes.
- Add mint, lime zest and lime juice.
Pot Selection and Heat Distribution
Heavy-bottomed cast iron enamel or multi-clad stainless steel stockpots prevent the pulverized spices and dense legumes from scorching during the initial five-minute sweat. A thin pot will create hot spots, burning the grated ginger and chopped garlic before they can release their essential oils into the fat. Choose a vessel holding at least six quarts to safely accommodate the eight cups of boiling vegetable broth without splattering.
Sequencing and Legume Densities
Red lentils disintegrate rapidly when exposed to boiling liquid for twenty minutes, thickening the base naturally without requiring added starches or pureeing equipment. Introducing canned garbanzo beans too early in that process causes them to break down completely into mush, which is why adding them later with the tomatoes preserves their structural integrity. Rinsing canned chickpeas thoroughly removes excess canning liquid and sodium, preventing cloudiness in the final stock.
Balancing Acidity at the Finish
Adding fresh lime juice and zest at the absolute end of cooking preserves volatile citrus aromatics that would otherwise dissipate under prolonged heat. Incorporating fresh herbs like mint and flat-leaf parsley off the heat maintains their bright green color and herbal punch. Store leftovers in an airtight glass container for up to four days, keeping in mind that the lentils will continue absorbing moisture and require an extra splash of water when reheating.
