Lemony Lentil Soup (Olive and Mango)

This recipe originates from Olive and Mango – but I’ve taken the liberty of fiddling with the quantities.

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

NutritionSortLoading...
Loading...

2 Tbsps. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 carrots, sliced thinly

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 stalks celery, sliced

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. ground coriander

½ tsp. ground turmeric

½ tsp. chili flakes

1 bay leaf

2 cups green lentils (rinsed)

8 cups vegetable or chicken stock

2 heaping cups spinach

2 tsp. fresh lemon zest

juice of 2 lemons (with more for serving)

¼ cup chopped fresh herbs (dill, parsley, mint)

salt, pepper to taste

Select allAdd

Directions:

1. heat oil in dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery – stirring occasionally until they are softened, ~ 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Stir in garlic, lemon zest, spices, and cook for ~ 30 seconds.

3. stir in lentils, broth, and bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook (partially covered) until lentils are tender, ~ 35-40 minutes.

4. remove lid and add spinach, allowing it to simmer for ~ 3-5 minutes.

5. remove soup from heat, and stir in lemon and fresh herbs. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste.

Suggestions: Sometimes this is fun with ½ chicken stock and ½ vegetable stock. The flavor is more complex. You may also find that you want more herbs: dill is good in a small amount , but you really can’t overdo the Italian parsley and mint – because they incrementally augment the soup’s freshness. Additional lemon really adds to the flavor as well. Try combining different sorts of onion – Vidalia, red, white – even shallots.