About this recipe

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Recipe highlight

Why you’ll love it

Sweat aromatics low and slow, bloom spices in olive oil, then simmer lentils just until tender for a silky, sunset-colored bowl. 🔥

Ingredients

• 🫒 Olive oil: 30 ml (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🧅 Yellow onion, finely diced: 150 g (1 cup / 5.3 oz)
• 🥕 Carrot, finely diced: 80 g (½ cup / 2.8 oz)
• 🥬 Celery stalk, finely diced: 60 g (½ cup / 2.1 oz)
• 🧄 Garlic, minced: 8 g (3 cloves / 0.28 oz)
• 🧂 Fine salt: 9 g (1½ tsp / 0.32 oz) plus more to taste
• 🌶 Ground cumin: 4 g (1½ tsp / 0.14 oz)
• 🌿 Ground coriander: 2 g (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🌕 Ground turmeric: 1 g (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🌶 Aleppo pepper or mild chili flakes: 1 g (½ tsp / 0.04 oz) (optional)
• 🫘 Red lentils, rinsed: 250 g (1¼ cups / 8.8 oz)
• 💧 Water or light veg/chicken stock: 1.3 l (5½ cups / 44 fl oz)
• 🍅 Tomato paste: 20 g (1 tbsp / 0.7 oz)
• 🍋 Fresh lemon juice: 30–45 ml (2–3 tbsp / 1–1½ fl oz)
• 🥬 Flat-leaf parsley, chopped: 10 g (¼ cup / 0.35 oz)
• 🧈 Optional finish: knob of butter or drizzle of olive oil dairy

Preparation

• Sweat the base — Warm olive oil in a 4 l (4 qt) pot over medium-low. Add onion, carrot, celery, and ½ tsp salt. Cook 8–10 min, stirring, until soft and translucent with light golden edges.
• Bloom spices — Add garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and Aleppo (if using). Cook 45–60 sec until fragrant, stirring constantly so spices don’t scorch.
• Add lentils & liquid — Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 min. Add rinsed lentils, remaining salt, and stock/water. Scrape the bottom of the pot, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to low and simmer uncovered 18–22 min, stirring occasionally, until lentils are very soft and starting to fall apart.
• Blend to your texture — For rustic soup, mash a bit with a ladle. For silky soup, use an immersion blender and blend 30–60 sec until smooth. If too thick, add hot water a little at a time.
• Finish with lemon & herbs — Off heat, stir in lemon juice (start with 30 ml and add to taste), parsley, and an optional knob of butter or drizzle of oil. Taste and adjust salt and acidity.
• Serve — Ladle into warm bowls and garnish with extra parsley, a pinch of chili, or a swirl of olive oil.

Timing details

Nutrition

Estimated values per serving.

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