Recipe of the week: Red lentil soup: Love at first sip

Friends have tried for years to introduce me to their favorite lentil soup, said Melissa Clark in The New York Times, one that would keep me warm “all winter long.” Some were sturdy and solid, others merely pedestrian, but they all lacked something. Then, suddenly, it happened. “I fell head over heels. Could this be the one?” This gorgeous, hearty soup didn’t look or even taste like it contained lentils. Then I learned that these were red lentils, rather than their green or brown cousins. The original recipe also called for a few surprises: dried mint, bulgur, fresh tomatoes. With none of those ingredients in my larder, I substituted cilantro and tomato paste for the mint and tomatoes, and doubled the lentils instead of using bulgur. “Would the soup live up to my expectations?” This buoyant, lemony soup is even better than the original.

Recipe of the week

Red Lentil Soup With Lemon

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

3 tbsp olive oil, more for drizzling

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp kosher salt, more to taste

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Pinch of ground chili powder or cayenne

1 qt chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 cup red lentils

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

Juice of Qw lemon, more to taste

3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

In a large pot, heat 3 tbsp oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper, and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer. Add broth, water, lentils, and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.

Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky. Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired. Serves 4.