A Deliciously Tasty Mediterranean Lentil Soup Recipe
Lentils may not be the first thing you think of when you are thinking of a soup for the evening unless you are planning to make Mediterranean Lentil Soup. This protein-packed dish is ideal for those who want to get their fill of veggies and protein without being too meat-heavy. I like to prepare this dish when I want to cut back on my meat intake or even when I have my vegetarian friends over for soup and sandwich nights.
Benefits of Mediterranean Lentil Soup
I have to say, there are so many reasons to make this Mediterranean Lentil soup in the winter or even in the late Spring when the weather starts to give one last frost before getting warm.
- Build your immunity
- Affordable
- Customizable
The very best thing about this soup is how nutritious it is. Whenever I am sick or have someone in the house start to sniffle, I get a pot of this ready. Adding this to my regular routine of medications and hand washing, it is a no-brainer as to why we beat illnesses pretty quick.
Because this is made with lots of veggies and lentils, it is also a pretty affordable soup to make. I can grab lentils, veggies from the fridge and some others I may want, and a few ingredients from the pantry, and I have everything I need to make soup. I can feed a lot of people or easily use this to meal prep for my weekday lunches at a minimal cost.
Depending on the time of year you make this soup, you can customize it to add as many different veggies as you would like. You do not always have to use the same ones, and I mix mine up depending on the season and what is fresh in my garden. Sometimes I want a little something extra from the store, so I may grab something in there, also.
Gather Your Ingredients
Once you have set forth to make this Mediterranean Lentil Soup, it is time to check your pantry and then head over to the supermarket to grab the items you don’t have.
- 1 1/2 cup of rinsed brown lentils
- One diced onions
- Two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil
- Three large chopped carrots
- Three stalks of celery chopped
- 1/2 pound to one pound of baby red potatoes sliced in half
- 1 cup of greens
- Two cans of diced tomatoes
- Two tablespoons of minced garlic
- One tablespoon of minced ginger
- One teaspoon of turmeric
- One teaspoon of cumin
- One teaspoon of dried thyme
- Eight cups of vegetable broth or stock
- Two bay leaves
- Half a bunch of chopped parsley or cilantro
- One lemon, juiced
Substitutions
If you want to watch your sodium intake, I recommend cutting the veggie stock in half and replacing it with water. This will reduce the amount of salt that gets into the soup. Also, the greens you choose can be spinach, kale, arugula, or a blend. I usually have spinach in my fridge for other recipes throughout the week, so I will grab a cup of that.
Parsley and cilantro are completely up to you, since they are added at the end of the soup. I think they give a nice taste to the soup, but you should watch out if you have someone with the cilantro mutation dining with you. I accidentally served it to someone before who only tastes soap and the entire bowl of soup was ruined for them. I now let guests add it in if they prefer it.
Build Your Soup
Now that you have your ingredients, it is time to start building your Mediterranean Lentil Soup. If you are like me, you have a pattern and a method to your madness in the kitchen. Mine goes a little like this:
1. Veggie Prep
The first thing I do with any soup is get my veggies prepared. During this step, I wash all my carrots, celery, potatoes and greens. I also get my onion diced up well and then start chopping the rest. When chopping, I try to get them all about the same size so they cook down simultaneously.
I also chop my herbs, but then add them back to the fridge since I don’t need them until the end and need to keep them fresh. I also go ahead and open my cans of tomatoes, getting them ready, as well as rinsing my lentils.
2. Saute Away
In your large soup pot, turn your burner to medium and heat up the oil of your choice. Once it gets warm, toss in your ginger, garlic and onions for about two minutes. They will cook down fast and get your kitchen smelling great.
3. Add it All Together
Once the base starts to smell great, it is time to add in the rest of your ingredients. Start with the canned tomatoes, the seasonings, and then the potatoes, carrots, and celery. Add in your broth, or broth and water mixture, and then the lentils. You may want to boost the heat to a medium high so that it starts boiling sooner.
Let your soup reach a boiling temperature, and add in all the seasonings at this step. Once the soup reaches boiling, turn it down to simmer, cover, and let it cook for about 30 minutes.
4. Give It Greens
After the lentils have cooked through, pull out your bay leaves from the soup and toss them in the trash. Add in your cup of greens to the soup and cover the lid again for about five minutes. Once the greens wilt down, it is time to serve.
Put out the cilantro or parsley that you chopped so that your diners can add what they want to it. If everyone enjoys it and you know this ahead of time, you can add it in with the other greens and then serve all at once.
Store Your Leftovers
Once you start serving your leftovers, you need to turn your burner down and let the leftovers cool down. Once it has cooled completely, you can safely store in the fridge for up to four days, reheating it on the stove or microwave.
This soup is one of those that gets better the next day, so always plan to make enough for leftovers to enjoy later on. If you are making this soup as a way to fight off illnesses, you probably do want to make a lot at once so you do not spend a lot of time cooking over the next few days.
