Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, (chopped)
  • 2 carrots, (peeled and chopped)
  • 2 celery ribs, (chopped)
  • 1 red bell pepper, (cored, seeded, and chopped)
  • 4 garlic cloves, (pressed or minced)
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 28 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup brown or green lentils, (picked over and rinsed well)
  • 1 teaspoon salt, (more to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, (more to taste)
  • Dash of crushed red pepper flakes or pinch of cayenne, (optional)
  • 2 cups roughly chopped fresh spinach ((can use kale))
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instruction

  • In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and red pepper and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for one more minute.
  • Add the dried bay leaves, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, thyme, tomatoes, and vegetable broth.
  • Stir in the rinsed lentils and season with salt and black pepper. If you want the soup to have a little heat, you can add in a little crushed red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper. Bring the soup to a boil. Place the lid on the pot and reduce the heat to low. Let the soup simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until lentils are soft.
  • Use an immersion blender to puree the soup a little. I do about 3 turns around the pan with the blender. You don’t want to puree the entire soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a regular blender. Remove 2 cups of the soup from the pot and let cool for a few minutes before blending. Blend and return the pureed soup back into the pot and stir.
  • Add the spinach and fresh lemon juice. Stir and taste. Add additional salt and pepper, If necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve warm.