Green lentil soup

Ingredients

• 2 mediumonions
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 200 gcarrots
• 3 stalkscelery
• 30 gfresh ginger
• 4 tbsptraditional olive oil
• 1 tbspground cumin
• 2 tspground turmeric
• ½ tspchilli flakes
• 300 gdried green lentils
• 1.3 litreswater
• 2vegetable stock cubes
• 1lemon
• 100 gyoghurt
• 400 gfresh spinach

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the vegetables

   Finely chop the onions and garlic. Peel and dice the carrots, finely chop the celery, and peel and finely chop the ginger.

2. 2

   Soften the vegetables

   Heat the oil in a soup pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and ginger and cook for 8 minutes.

3. 3

   Toast the spices

   Add the cumin, turmeric and chilli flakes, and cook for a further 2 minutes.

4. 4

   Add lentils and stock

   Stir in the lentils and pour in the water. Crumble the stock cubes over the pan, then bring the soup to the boil.

5. 5

   Simmer the soup

   Turn the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.

6. 6

   Make lemon yoghurt

   Meanwhile, scrub the lemon, finely grate the yellow zest and squeeze the juice from half the lemon. Stir the zest into the yoghurt and season with pepper.

7. 7

   Blend some soup

   Ladle 200 ml of soup (for 4 servings) into a measuring jug and blend until smooth with a hand blender.

8. 8

   Add spinach

   Stir the blended soup back into the pan in batches, then add the spinach in batches too. Take the pan off the heat once the spinach has wilted.

9. 9

   Season to taste

   Season the soup with the lemon juice, pepper and, if needed, salt.

10. 10

    Serve with yoghurt

    Divide the soup between bowls and add a spoonful of lemon yoghurt to each serving.

What is green lentil soup?

Lentil soup is made in many food traditions, with ingredients and seasonings varying from place to place. This version combines green lentils with familiar soup vegetables, warming spices and spinach.

Blending a small amount of the cooked soup thickens the broth while leaving most of the lentils and vegetables intact. Lemon yoghurt on top brings a cool, tart finish.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 495 calories, 22g protein, 52g carbs, 18g fat.

The lentils supply most of the carbohydrates and much of the protein, while the olive oil and yoghurt contribute fat. Spinach and the other vegetables add bulk and fibre; serve the soup with bread if you want a more filling plate.

Build flavour with the vegetables and spices

Vegetable base: cooking the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and ginger in oil for 8 minutes gives them time to soften before the liquid goes in.

Spices: cumin, turmeric and chilli flakes need only 2 minutes in the pan. Stir them with the vegetables so they become fragrant without catching.

Let the lentils simmer gently

Green lentils: add them dry, then simmer in the covered pan for 30 minutes. Keep the heat low enough for a steady, gentle simmer rather than a hard boil.

Doneness: check that the lentils are tender before moving on. If they still feel firm, give them more time to cook before adding the spinach.

Blend only part of the soup

Partial blend: purée 200 ml of soup until smooth, then stir it back into the pot. This gives the broth more body while keeping the lentils whole in the rest of the bowl.

Careful handling: ladle the soup into a measuring jug before blending, and keep the blender head beneath the surface to reduce splashes.

Add spinach at the end

Fresh spinach: add it in batches, stirring as each handful wilts. Taking the pan off the heat once it has wilted helps keep the leaves from cooking for longer than needed.

Timing: the spinach goes in after the lentils have simmered, so it does not need to share their longer cooking time.

Finish and serve

Lemon yoghurt: lemon zest gives the yoghurt a bright aroma, while a little black pepper seasons it. The recipe uses the juice of half the lemon in the soup; add it to taste.

Serving: spoon the yoghurt onto each bowl just before eating. Crusty bread makes a useful accompaniment for a more substantial meal.

Recipe notes & tips

• Chop the vegetables to a similar size so they soften evenly.
• Stir the spices as they cook and lower the heat if they begin to stick.
• Check the lentils for tenderness before blending any of the soup.
• Add the spinach gradually so it is easier to stir through the pot.
• Taste before adding salt, as the stock cubes may already season the soup.
• Add the lemon juice a little at a time to suit your taste.

Variations

• More chilli: increase the chilli flakes for a hotter bowl.
• Extra herbs: finish with chopped parsley for a fresh herbal note.
• Creamier finish: stir a little extra yoghurt into each serving.
• More vegetables: add diced courgette with the carrots and celery.
• Citrus swap: use lime juice in place of the lemon juice for a different tang.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Hard boiling: a vigorous boil can make the lentils cook unevenly; keep the covered soup at a gentle simmer.
• Skipping the spice stir: spices can taste raw if added straight to the liquid; cook them with the vegetables for 2 minutes.
• Blending too much: puréeing the whole pot removes the varied texture; blend just 200 ml and stir it back in.
• Adding spinach too early: it can become overcooked during the lentil simmer; add it after blending.
• Over-salting: stock cubes can make the soup salty enough; taste before adding any extra salt.
• Adding all the lemon at once: the soup may turn too sharp; add the juice gradually and taste as you go.

How to store

Cool the soup promptly and refrigerate it in a covered container for up to 3 days; store the lemon yoghurt separately. Reheat the soup gently in a pan until piping hot, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.

Frequently asked questions