INGREDIENTS
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne (optional)
- 1 quart low sodium vegetable broth + 2 cups water
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat until shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
2. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper, chili powder, and ground cayenne (if using) and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
3. Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partly cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.
4. Using an immersion blender, regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup, then add it back to the pot. The soup should be somewhat chunky.
5. Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and spinach and cook until spinach has wilted. Stir in cilantro.
VARIATIONS & TIPS
If you do not have a blender or food processor, you can still enjoy the soup without completing that step.
Consider serving over wholegrain brown rice or quinoa.
NUTRITION FACTS
Calories: 294 cal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Fiber: 7.6g, Sugar: 7.9g (1g added sugar), Protein: 13.4g, Fat: 8.1g, Saturated fat:
1.1g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 291mg
YIELD: 4 servings
SOURCE: Adapted from New York Times