Spiced Red Lentil & Spinach Soup

A quick and warming red lentil soup, rich with aromatic spices and vibrant spinach, served with a fresh cucumber salad and fluffy pita bread.

• Prep: 10 min
• Cook: 18 min
• Total: 28 min
• Servings: 4
• Cuisine: Mediterranean
• Difficulty: Easy
• Cost: $3.27/serving

Dietary

• Vegan
• Dairy-Free
• Vegetarian
• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• Egg-Free
• Pescatarian
• High-Protein
• High-Fiber

Tags

• boil
• comfort food
• healthy
• quick
• savory

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (medium, chopped)
• 2 carrots (peeled, diced)
• 2 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 0.5 teaspoon ground coriander
• 0.25 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 cup red lentils (rinsed)
• 4 cup vegetable broth
• 14.5 ounce diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 5 ounce fresh spinach
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh)
• 2 whole wheat pita breads
• 1 cucumber (diced)
• 1 Roma tomato (diced)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper (ground)

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped yellow onion and diced carrots. Cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes.
2. Stir in minced garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, and turmeric powder. Cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
3. Add rinsed red lentils, vegetable broth, and canned diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
4. While the soup simmers, prepare the salad: In a small bowl, combine diced cucumber and diced Roma tomato. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Toss gently.
5. Stir fresh spinach into the soup until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in fresh lemon juice. Season soup with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and 3/8 teaspoon black pepper to taste.
6. Serve the hot soup with warmed whole wheat pita bread and the side cucumber and Roma tomato salad.

Notes

Red lentils cook faster than brown or green lentils, making them perfect for quick soups. You can toast the pita bread lightly in a pan for extra warmth and texture.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 420
• Protein: 23 g
• Carbohydrates: 64.5 g
• Fat: 10 g
• Fiber: 19 g
• Sodium: 820 mg
• Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
• Sugar: 10 g