Recipe- Classic Vegetarian Best Lentil Soup

Lentil soup is a classic vegetarian soup recipe. It’s hearty, healthy, delightfully filling (with plant-based protein), and warming on those cold, wintery days. While there are many variations of lentil soup, you can’t go wrong with a simple, delicious Mediterranean version. It’s packed with rich flavor, it’s hearty enough to be eaten as dinner, and it’s easy enough to whip up with a few pantry staples and fresh vegetables. That’s why it’s the very best.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, small diced
2 carrots, small diced
2 celery stalks, small diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
28 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes
6 cups vegetable broth or water
1 cup green or brown lentils
3 leaves kale, stemmed and sliced
1 lemon, juiced

Method

* Heat the oil in a large pot until it shimmers. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and stir for 5 minutes, or until the onion becomes translucent.

* Add the tomato paste, minced garlic, dried spices, salt and pepper. Stir and toast the spices for 2 minutes.

* Add the diced tomatoes, broth, and lentils and stir together. Bring that to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, partially cover with a lid, and simmer for 25-30 minutes.

* You can keep the soup chunky, or use an immersion blender to create a more creamy texture, by spot blending for just a few seconds.

* Stir in the kale and lemon juice, and simmer for an additional minute or two to soften the kale. Taste the soup, and add any additional lemon juice, salt, or pepper before serving.