Red Lentil Soup with Crisp Pita Triangles

Name: Red Lentil Soup with Crisp Pita Triangles
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 0.5 tablespoon olive oil; 0.25 yellow onion (small, diced); 1 clove garlic (minced); 0.5 Roma tomato (diced); 0.33 cup red lentils (rinsed); 2 cup vegetable broth; 0.25 teaspoon ground cumin; 0.13 teaspoon salt; 0.06 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground); 1 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed); 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish); 1 pita bread

A deeply flavorful and hearty red lentil soup, brightened with lemon juice and fresh herbs, served with warm, crispy toasted pita bread.

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 25 min
Servings: 1
Cuisine: Lebanese
Difficulty: Easy
Cost: $3.26/serving

Dietary

Vegetarian
Vegan
Nut-Free
Dairy-Free
Egg-Free
High-Fiber
Pescatarian
High-Protein
Low-Sugar

Ingredients

0.5 tablespoon olive oil
0.25 yellow onion (small, diced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
0.5 Roma tomato (diced)
0.33 cup red lentils (rinsed)
2 cup vegetable broth
0.25 teaspoon ground cumin
0.13 teaspoon salt
0.06 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)
1 pita bread

Instructions

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced yellow onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and diced Roma tomato to the saucepan. Cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
Stir in the rinsed red lentils, vegetable broth, ground cumin, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, and 1/16 teaspoon of black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-18 minutes, or until lentils are tender and have thickened the soup.
While the soup simmers, prepare the pita bread. Cut the pita bread into triangles. Lightly toast the pita triangles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side until lightly golden and crisp, or bake in a toaster oven.
Once the lentils are tender, remove the soup from heat. Stir in the fresh lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Ladle the hot soup into a bowl, garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired, and serve immediately with the toasted pita triangles.

Notes

For a smoother soup, you can blend a portion of it with an immersion blender before serving, though it's traditionally served chunky. Adjust consistency with more broth or water if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 400
Protein: 21.5 g
Carbohydrates: 65.5 g
Fat: 8.5 g
Fiber: 15 g
Sodium: 710 mg
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Sugar: 5 g