Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup

Method

1. 1

   Heat the oil in a large pot and soften the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt.

   8 min
2. 2

   Add the garlic, cumin and paprika and stir for a minute until fragrant.

3. 3

   Tip in the lentils, tomatoes and stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer, stirring now and then, until the lentils have collapsed.

   20 min
4. 4

   Blitz about half the soup with a stick blender for a thick but chunky texture (add a splash of water if too thick).

5. 5

   Stir in the spinach until wilted, then finish with lemon juice, salt and black pepper.

   2 min

Watch how it's made

Hand-picked videos of this dish or its classic version. Their quantities differ, so follow ours for the macros above.

• 

  Red Lentil Soup: A Hearty, Nutritious Comfort Food

  High Protein Recipes with Scott Baptie · YouTube

• 

  How to Make Easy Red Lentil Soup with North African Spices

  America's Test Kitchen · YouTube

Substitutions

• More protein: stir in a drained can of chickpeas or top each bowl with 2 tbsp Greek yogurt (no longer vegan).
• Add a diced sweet potato or butternut squash with the lentils for a sweeter, heartier soup.
• Slow cooker: add everything except spinach and lemon and cook on Low for 6 hours.