Tomato Lentil Soup (Printable)

Tangy tomato broth meets protein-rich lentils in this vibrant Mediterranean bowl ready in under an hour.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
02 - 2 medium carrots, diced
03 - 2 celery stalks, diced
04 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
06 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste

→ Lentils

07 - 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed

→ Liquids

08 - 5 cups vegetable broth
09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Spices & Seasonings

10 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
11 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - ½ teaspoon dried thyme
13 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
14 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
15 - 1 bay leaf

→ Finishing Touches

16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional
17 - Juice of ½ lemon

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables are softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add tomato paste, cumin, smoked paprika, thyme, and black pepper. Stir continuously for 1 minute to awaken the spice flavors.
04 - Add diced tomatoes with juice, lentils, vegetable broth, bay leaf, and salt. Stir well and bring to a boil.
05 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Stir in lemon juice and adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort but feels light enough to eat any day of the week without guilt.
  • The whole thing comes together in under an hour, which means weeknight dinners suddenly feel manageable.
  • One pot means minimal cleanup, leaving you actual time to enjoy the meal instead of drowning in dishes.
02 -
  • Don't skip the initial five-minute sauté of the onion, carrots, and celery—this step is where half the flavor lives, and rushing it leaves the soup tasting one-dimensional.
  • If your lentils are taking longer than thirty minutes to soften, your broth might be too acidic from the tomatoes; adding a pinch of baking soda neutralizes this and speeds up cooking time.
03 -
  • Keep an immersion blender nearby while simmering—if the soup feels too thick as it cooks, blend just half of it to create a creamy-chunky hybrid that's utterly satisfying.
  • The secret to this soup tasting restaurant-quality is toasting those spices properly; don't be timid about letting them sit in the pan for the full minute, even if it feels like longer.
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