Lentil Soup

This Lemony Lentil Soup recipe is full of the best bright and zesty flavours, it’s naturally gluten-free and vegan, and it’s easy to make in the Instant Pot, Crock-Pot or on the stovetop.

 Prep Time: 10 minutes
 
 Cook Time: 25 minutes
 
 Total Time: 35 minutes
 
 Yield: 4 servings 

A simple mixture of vegetables, spices, and plenty of lemon juice are cooked in this comforting red lentil soup. However, the restaurant version of the soup also included two special ingredients, maize and a dash of saffron, which give the soup the ideal amount of sweetness and balance. I frequently use this soup because it’s simple to prepare and contains a lot of comforting elements. Above all, though, we simply adore it since it’s so delicious and will always make us think of home.

Let’s make some lemony lentil soup together!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium white onion, peeled and diced

2 medium carrots, diced

5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

6 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)

1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed and picked over

2/3 cup whole-kernel corn

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon curry powder

(optional) pinch each of saffron and cayenne

zest and juice of 1 small lemon

fine sea salt (salt of your choice) and freshly-cracked black pepper

Instructions

Stovetop Instructions:

Sauté the veggies. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and carrots, and cook for five minutes, stirring now and then, until the onions are transparent and soft. Add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.

Simmer. Add the vegetable stock, lentils, corn, cumin, curry powder, and, if desired, saffron and cayenne, and stir until well blended. Cook the soup until it comes to a simmer. After that, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring now and again, until the lentils are very soft.

Blend (optional). Puree the soup until the required consistency is achieved using a hand blender or a conventional blender. (Please refer to the notes below if you’re using a conventional blender.)

season. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir until blended. If necessary, add a liberal pinch or two of fine sea salt and black pepper to taste and season the soup.

Serve. If preferred, top with an additional slice of fresh lemon and serve warm.

Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Instructions:

Sauté the veggies (optional). Press the “Sauté” button on your Instant Pot.  After adding the oil, heat it until it shimmers. Add the onion and carrots, and cook for five minutes, stirring now and again, until the onions are transparent and tender. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute, stirring now and again, until fragrant. Click “Cancel.”

Prepare food. Add the vegetable stock, lentils, corn, cumin, curry powder, and, if desired, saffron and cayenne, and stir until well blended. Put a lid on the pot and select “Sealing” for the vent. After 8 minutes of high pressure cooking, quickly remove the pressure.

Mix. Puree the soup until the required consistency is achieved using a hand blender or a conventional blender. (Please refer to the notes below if you’re using a conventional blender.)

season. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir until blended. If necessary, add a liberal pinch or two of fine sea salt and black pepper to taste and season the soup.

Serve. If preferred, top with an additional slice of fresh lemon and serve warm.

Crock-Pot (Slow Cooker) Instructions:

Slow cook. In the bowl of a large slow cooker, add the onion, carrots, garlic, vegetable stock, lentils, corn, cumin, curry powder, and, if desired, saffron and cayenne. Stir everything well. (You don’t need olive oil.) Cook, covered, on high for two to three hours or low for five to six hours, or until the lentils are fully soft.

Mix. Puree the soup until the required consistency is achieved using a hand blender or a conventional blender. (Please refer to the notes below if you’re using a conventional blender.)

season. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir until blended. If necessary, add a liberal pinch or two of fine sea salt and black pepper to taste and season the soup.

Assign. If preferred, top with an additional slice of fresh lemon and serve warm.

Notes

Traditional blender instructions: Because hot liquids expand when combined, please use caution (as always) if puréeing the soup in a traditional blender. To avoid overflowing your blender, I would suggest blending the soup in two batches. In order to allow extra hot air to escape while the hot soup is being blended, I always tent open the blender lid (or cover the opening with a kitchen towel). When the soup is ready, put it back in the stockpot and proceed with the procedure.

Sautéing the vegetables: To get the best taste, I strongly advise sautéing the onions, carrots, and garlic before cooking them in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. But don’t worry, if you’re in a hurry, you can just add them together with all the other ingredients without the sauté. ( 🙂

Storage guidelines: Any leftovers can be frozen for up to three months or refrigerated in a food storage container for up to three days.

Possible Variations:

You are welcome to explore and alter this soup as you see fit! For instance, you may

Serve the soup chunky. Simply eat the soup without puréeing it.

Make it spicier. If you want to add a little more heat to the soup, add more cayenne.

Add fresh herbs. Serving this soup with fresh cilantro or mint would also be excellent.

Add yogurt. For a creamy variation, feel free to serve the soup with plain yogurt as a garnish.

Add greens.If you want to add some greens, you may also mix in some chopped kale or fresh baby spinach right before serving.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 349
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10g	13%
Saturated Fat 1g	7%
Sodium 131mg	6%
Total Carbohydrate 48g	18%
Dietary Fiber 22g	79%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 18g	37%
Vitamin C 13mg	15%
Calcium 98mg	8%
Iron 6mg	34%
Potassium 970mg	21%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.