Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, small dice (~1.5 cups)
• 3 medium carrots, small dice (~1.5 cups)
• 3 celery ribs, small dice (~1 cup)
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 (28 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 7 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 1/4 cups green or brown lentils, rinsed
• 4-5 leaves kale, stems removed and sliced
• 1 lemon, juiced (~3 tbsp)

Build the Soup Base

Get a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat; add the olive oil.

Once it’s shimmering, add the onion, celery, and carrots. Stir them for ~5-6 minutes.

The onion should start to look translucent and the vegetables will soften.

Add the tomato paste, minced garlic, cumin, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Stir everything constantly for ~1-2 minutes.

Toasting the spices and tomato paste like this deepens their flavor; you’ll smell them become more fragrant.

Simmer the Lentils

Pour in the undrained diced tomatoes and the vegetable broth. Add the rinsed lentils and stir it all together.

Turn the heat to high to bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to low.

Partially cover the pot with a lid. You want steam to escape so the soup can reduce a bit.

Let it simmer for ~30-35 minutes.

The lentils should be tender at this point.

Finish the Soup

You can leave the soup chunky.

Or, for a slightly creamier texture, use an immersion blender to pulse it a few times directly in the pot. Just a few seconds is enough to break up some of the lentils and thicken the broth.

Stir in the sliced kale and the lemon juice.

Let it simmer for another minute or two. The kale will wilt and turn a vibrant green.

Taste it one last time and add any extra salt, pepper, or lemon juice.

Print Pin

Mediterranean Lentil Soup

Green or brown lentils are crucial – red ones would dissolve into porridge. Toasting the tomato paste for a couple minutes removes that raw, tinny taste and adds depth.

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Ingredients

• ▢ 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 large yellow onion ~1.5 cups, small dice
• ▢ 3 medium carrots ~1.5 cups, small dice
• ▢ 3 celery ribs ~1 cup, small dice
• ▢ 3 tbsp tomato paste
• ▢ 5 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 1/2 tsp cumin
• ▢ 1 tsp dried oregano
• ▢ 1 tsp dried basil
• ▢ 1 tsp dried thyme
• ▢ 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ▢ 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes 28 oz, undrained
• ▢ 7 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups green or brown lentils rinsed
• ▢ 4-5 leaves kale stems removed and sliced
• ▢ 1 lemon ~3 tbsp, juiced

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add onion, celery, and carrots; cook until softened, 5-6 minutes.
• Add tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper; cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
• Add diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and lentils.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer 30-35 minutes until lentils are tender.
• Optional: pulse briefly with immersion blender to thicken.
• Stir in kale and lemon juice, simmer 1-2 minutes until kale wilts.
• Adjust seasoning to taste.

Notes

Use green or brown lentils. Fire-roasted tomatoes recommended for best flavor.