Lentil and Spinach Soup

This Mediterranean-inspired soup cooks green lentils with a classic onion-carrot-celery base, tomatoes, garlic, and cumin until tender, then folds in spinach and lemon for a fresh finish. The broth stays brothy rather than creamy, with a soft legume texture and a clean, herbal edge from parsley.

By Julienne

Cook time: 35 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 20 ml olive oil divided
• 150 g yellow onion small dice
• 120 g carrot small dice
• 80 g celery small dice
• 1 tsp fine salt divided
• 4 cloves garlic cloves minced
• 30 g tomato paste none
• 2 tsp ground cumin none
• 1 tsp smoked paprika none
• 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes none
• 200 g green lentils rinsed and picked over
• 400 g diced tomatoes canned or boxed
• 1200 ml vegetable stock hot
• 1 leaf bay leaf none
• 0.5 tsp black pepper freshly ground
• 1 tsp fine salt divided
• 120 g fresh spinach stemmed if needed
• 10 ml olive oil divided
• 30 ml lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 1 tsp lemon zest finely grated
• 10 g fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

1. Heat 20 ml of the olive oil in a 5 L soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and 1 tsp of the salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and the onion turns translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. The vegetables look glossy, softened, and lightly fragrant but not browned.
2. Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, smoked paprika, and optional red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute to toast the spices and darken the tomato paste slightly. The mixture smells fragrant and the tomato paste has deepened in color.
3. Stir in the lentils, diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, bay leaf, black pepper, and remaining 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. The pot has an active simmer with small bubbles across the surface.
4. Simmer uncovered or partly covered for about 22 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender but still intact. If the soup looks too thick, add a splash of water as needed from the pot's reserved cooking liquid budget not required here; this recipe does not include extra water. The lentils are tender through the center and the broth is flavorful rather than gritty.
5. Stir in the spinach and cook for 1 to 2 minutes just until wilted. Turn off the heat, then stir in the remaining 10 ml olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley. The spinach is wilted and bright green, and the lemon aroma is noticeable but not overpowering.
6. Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust with additional salt only if needed, then ladle into bowls and serve hot. The soup tastes balanced: savory, earthy, and bright at the finish.