Description
Hearty lentil and potato soup brings comfort from Mediterranean kitchens, blending rustic ingredients with simple spices. Warm bowls of this soup offer nourishing flavors you’ll savor slowly and appreciate deeply.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 cups (1.9 liters) vegetable broth
- 1 ½ cups dried green or brown lentils, rinsed
- 3 medium potatoes, diced
- 1 can (14.5 oz/411 g) diced tomatoes
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups fresh spinach or kale (optional)
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preparation: Meticulously rinse lentils under cool water, removing any impurities. Dice potatoes, chop onions, carrots, and celery into uniform pieces, and mince garlic cloves with precision.
- Aromatic Foundation: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onions, carrots, celery, and garlic until vegetables soften and onions become translucent, releasing their deep, savory aroma.
- Ingredient Integration: Add diced potatoes and cleaned lentils to the vegetable base. Stir thoroughly to combine and develop a rich flavor profile, allowing ingredients to meld together.
- Liquid Infusion: Pour vegetable broth into the pot, then sprinkle dried thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix well, bringing the mixture to a vigorous boil before reducing to a gentle simmer.
- Transformative Cooking: Let the soup simmer for 25-30 minutes, allowing lentils and potatoes to become perfectly tender. Periodically taste and adjust seasonings, ensuring a balanced and robust flavor. The soup will thicken and develop a deep, comforting essence as it cooks.
- Serving: Ladle the hearty soup into warm bowls. Enhance with a sprinkle of fresh parsley for a burst of color and freshness. Serve alongside crusty bread or a light salad to complete the meal.
Notes
- Rinse Lentils Carefully: Remove all debris and stones to prevent gritty texture and ensure clean, pure flavor in your soup.
- Sauté Aromatics Thoroughly: Cook onions, carrots, and celery until they become soft and translucent, releasing deep, rich flavors that form the soup’s flavor foundation.
- Control Liquid Consistency: Add broth gradually and monitor soup’s thickness during cooking. If too thick, splash extra broth; if too thin, let simmer uncovered to reduce naturally.
- Adjust Seasoning Progressively: Taste soup multiple times during cooking, incrementally adding salt and pepper to build balanced flavor without overwhelming ingredients.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg