Food Recipes Lemony Lentil Soup 3.9 (36) 1 Review For a classic soup-and-sandwich combo, serve with a whole-grain grilled cheese. By Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto is a recipe tester and developer who's been working in the Dotdash Meredith test kitchens since 2017. Her recipes and writing have appeared in more than 10 nationally distributed print publications, as well as on various digital platforms. Anna's recipes have been showcased on the covers of magazines such as Food & Wine and Southern Living. Anna earned her BS in agricultural education and communication from the University of Florida, and a degree in culinary arts from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. She is a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier Birmingham chapter. She has 10 years of experience developing recipes. When not in the kitchen, Anna enjoys hiking with her son, husband, and two dogs. She also loves fostering puppies for a local animal rescue group. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 12, 2022 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email In this simple soup recipe, you’ll simmer everyday ingredients like carrots, onion, garlic, and spices with red lentils, which are the perfect soup legume since they break down into soft submission. Instead of pureeing the entire soup into oblivion, you’ll only blend half the batch to retain some texture. On top are crispy, roasted kale leaves for a modern garnish—they’re not your mother’s parsley leaves, that’s for sure. For a classic soup-and-sandwich combo, serve with a whole-grain grilled cheese. Get the recipe: Lemony Lentil Soup. Photo: Greg DuPree Hands On Time: 15 mins Total Time: 30 mins Yield: 4 servings In this simple soup recipe, you'll simmer everyday ingredients like carrots, onion, garlic, and spices with red lentils, which are the perfect soup legume since they break down into soft submission. Instead of pureeing the entire soup into oblivion, you'll only blend half the batch to retain some texture. On top are crispy, roasted kale leaves for a modern garnish—they're not your mother's parsley leaves, that's for sure. Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 yellow onion, finely chopped 2 medium carrots, grated 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 1 ½ cups dried red lentils, rinsed 4 leaves curly kale, stemmed and torn into 2-inch pieces 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided 2 teaspoons lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons fresh juice (from 1 lemon) ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving Directions Preheat oven to 425 F. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add onion, carrots, and garlic; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, about 6 minutes. Stir in coriander, chili powder, and turmeric and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place kale on a large rimmed baking sheet; sprinkle with teaspoon salt and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Massage kale until evenly coated; spread in an even layer. Bake, flipping once, until crisp and lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side. Remove lentil soup from heat; transfer half of soup to a blender and process until smooth. Return blended soup to pot. Stir in lemon zest and juice, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoons salt. Serve soup topped with crispy kale and several grinds of pepper. Print