Lentil Soup

 Healthy Vegan Online Only Easy active30 mins total time1 hr 30 mins servings4 – 6 addedSeptember 2020

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup carrot, finely chopped
• ½ cup celery, finely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ cups dried brown lentils
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 7 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped (about 1 teaspoon leaves)
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground toasted cumin
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest, plus the juice of ½ lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
• ½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus more for garnish, roughly chopped

1. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are starting to caramelize and take on a dark brown color, 8 to 10 minutes (this step is important as it will add tons of flavor to your soup!).
2. Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook, scraping up the brown bits, until the garlic is fragrant and slightly softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the lentils, stock, 4 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, coriander, cumin, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of black pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the lentils are softened with just a bit of bite, 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Remove the bay leaf. Puree 2½ cups of the soup in a blender until smooth then stir back into the pot. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Ladle into bowls and garnish with more parsley.