Tomato Lentil Soup (Print)

Vibrant tomato broth with hearty protein-rich lentils, ready in under an hour for a wholesome Mediterranean-inspired meal.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
02 - 2 medium carrots, diced
03 - 2 celery stalks, diced
04 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
06 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste

→ Lentils

07 - 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed

→ Liquids

08 - 5 cups vegetable broth
09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Spices & Seasonings

10 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
11 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - ½ teaspoon dried thyme
13 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
14 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
15 - 1 bay leaf

→ Finishing Touches

16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
17 - Juice of ½ lemon

# Directions:

01 - Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery, sautéing for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add tomato paste, cumin, smoked paprika, thyme, and black pepper. Stir continuously for 1 minute to activate the spices.
04 - Add the diced tomatoes with their juice, rinsed lentils, vegetable broth, bay leaf, and salt. Stir well and bring to a boil.
05 - Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.
06 - Remove the bay leaf and stir in lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like it simmered all day, which feels like a small victory in the kitchen.
  • The lentils give you real staying power—you won't be hungry an hour later, and that's honestly rare for soup.
  • Every ingredient plays a role here; nothing feels like it's just taking up space in the pot.
02 -
  • Lentils vary wildly in how long they take to cook depending on their age and how long they've been sitting in your pantry, so don't panic if yours need five extra minutes—just keep tasting until they're tender.
  • The soup thickens as it sits, so if you're making it ahead and reheating, you might need to add a splash of broth or water to get it back to the consistency you want.
03 -
  • If you use red lentils instead of brown or green, cut your simmering time down to about 20 minutes—they cook faster and will turn into a soft, almost creamy texture that's wonderful in its own way.
  • Tasting as you cook teaches you more than any recipe ever could; salt draws out flavors, lemon juice brightens them, and sometimes what feels missing is just a minute more on the heat to let things develop fully.
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