Vegan Mediterranean lentil soup with turmeric and lemon

Vegan Mediterranean lentil soup with turmeric and lemon: creamy, well seasoned and fresh, with red lentils, veg, olive oil, cumin and parsley.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 10 min
• Cooking time: 25 min
• Total time: 35 min
• Calories: 380 kcal per serving
• Protein: 22 g
• Fat: 10 g
• Carbs: 48 g

Ingredients

• 150 g red lentils
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 600 ml vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp cumin
• Salt
• Pepper
• Parsley

Method

You’ll need: saucepan · stick blender · chopping board · knife · sieve · wooden spoon · ladle

1. Rinse the red lentils thoroughly in a sieve under cold water. Finely chop the onion, garlic, carrot and celery.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Cook the onion and garlic over a medium heat until soft and translucent.
3. Add the carrot and celery and soften briefly. Stir in the turmeric and cumin and toast briefly until fragrant.
4. Add the lentils and vegetable stock to the pan. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over a low heat until the lentils are soft.
5. Season the soup to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper. If you like it smoother, blend it briefly.
6. Serve with chopped parsley and a little olive oil.

Good to know

This is the soup I want on days when things should be simple but still feel properly rounded. Warm, lemony and gently spiced, without needing to shout.

Swaps

Red lentils → yellow lentils (similar protein content, a little milder) | Olive oil → avocado oil (heat-stable, with monounsaturated fatty acids) | Parsley → coriander (also provides plant compounds) | Lemon → lime (similarly fresh, with vitamin C)

Allergens

The recipe is naturally vegan and free from gluten, milk, egg and nuts, provided you choose a suitable vegetable stock; celery is one of the allergens that must be declared. Season mildly for children; in pregnancy the ingredients are fine in normal kitchen amounts.

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