Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 1/2 tbsp Butter
- 2 medium Onions, diced
- 5 large Carrots, peeled and diced
- 6 ribs Celery, chopped
- 6 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 tsp Sweet paprika
- 1 1/4 tsp Dried basil
- 1 1/4 tsp Dried thyme
- 1 1/4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 1/4 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground, plus more to taste
- 2 1/2 cups Dry green or brown lentils, rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce) can Diced tomatoes
- 10 cups Vegetable broth
- 1 large Lemon, zested and juiced
Build the Soup’s Foundation
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for ~5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften.
Add the carrots and celery and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
Cooking the mirepoix slowly like this is called sweating. It draws out the sweetness of the vegetables and creates a deep flavor base for the soup.
Add Aromatics and Simmer
Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the garlic. Cook for about a minute until it’s fragrant, then add the salt, thyme, basil, and paprika.
Rinse your lentils under cold water until the water runs clear. Add the rinsed lentils, diced tomatoes with their juice, and the vegetable broth to the pot. Stir everything to combine.
Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a simmer. You may see some foam or scum rise to the surface as it heats up. Skim this off with a spoon and discard it.
Once simmering, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it cook for ~40-60 minutes.
The soup is ready when the lentils are tender.
Finish and Serve the Soup
Just before serving, stir in the lemon zest and juice. This brightens up the earthy flavor of the lentils.
Taste the soup and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot.
Hearty Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 1/2 tbsp Butter
- 2 medium Onions diced
- 5 large Carrots peeled and diced
- 6 ribs Celery chopped
- 6 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 1/2 tsp Sweet paprika
- 1 1/4 tsp Dried basil
- 1 1/4 tsp Dried thyme
- 1 1/4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1 1/4 tsp Black pepper freshly ground, plus more to taste
- 2 1/2 cups Dry green or brown lentils rinsed
- 1 can Diced tomatoes 15 ounce
- 10 cups Vegetable broth
- 1 large Lemon zested and juiced
Instructions
- Heat olive oil and butter in large pot over medium heat.
- Add onions, cook 5 minutes until softening.
- Add carrots and celery, cook 10 minutes.
- Add garlic, cook 1 minute.
- Stir in salt, thyme, basil, and paprika.
- Add rinsed lentils, diced tomatoes, and vegetable broth.
- Bring to simmer, skim foam, reduce heat to low.
- Cover and cook 40-60 minutes until lentils are tender.
- Stir in lemon zest and juice.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
