Red Lentil & Lemon Soup

This is a great recipe to have when it seems like you have nothing to eat and no time to shop. Make sure to always have a bag of red lentils in the cupboard and you’ll be able to pull this bright, warming soup together any day of the week.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
400g red lentils, rinsed and any stones removed
1 tablespoon turmeric
45g butter, divided
Sea salt
2 medium onions, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
Large handful of fresh coriander, chopped
Juice of 2-3 lemons

To serve
Warm brown rice
Greek yogurt
1 head broccoli, divided into florets and roasted until dark OR 1 large bunch of spinach, chopped and sautéed in butter right before serving

Instructions

Combine rinsed lentils, turmeric, 15g butter and 7g sea salt with 1.5 litres water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. You are looking for the lentils to begin falling apart. Using an immersion blender, purée the lentils and add any additional water necessary to reach your desired texture. Add more salt if needed.

While the lentils are cooking, prepare the onion mixture. Cook the chopped onion with the remaining butter, cumin and mustard seeds on a low heat until the onions are softened. Stir the onions occasionally to keep from browning unevenly. After about 10-15 minutes, when the onions have softened, add the chopped coriander, stir for a few seconds and transfer to the pot of puréed lentils.

Before serving, add the lemon juice, a bit at a time, to taste.

Serve in bowls over a scoop of brown rice, topped with a dollop of yogurt and either charred broccoli or spinach.

Adapted from 101cookbooks.com