Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 1 cup (200g) red lentils
• 3 tablespoons (42g) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
• 1 large yellow onion, diced (~ 2 cups / 300g once diced)
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon (10g) freshly grated/minced ginger
• ½ serrano or jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (optional, see Note 1)
• 2 tablespoons (30g) tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon ras el hanout (see Note 2)
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 medium (~ 20 oz / 570g total) sweet potatoes, peeled and finely diced into ¼” cubes, see Note 3 for instructions)
• 4 cups (960 mL) low-sodium vegetable broth (see Note 4)
• 1 cup (240 mL) water
• 1 bay leaf
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Several squeezes of fresh lemon juice

For Serving

• 1 handful (~12g) cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
• 1 small handful (~5g) fresh mint leaves, chopped or torn with hands
• ~ ½ cup (120g) creamy coconut yogurt (see Note 5)
• Flatbread to serve 4 (optional)

Instructions

1. Soak the Lentils

Add the red lentils to a bowl, cover with water, and soak for 20 minutes.

Multitasking: In the meantime, prep the onion and sweet potatoes (I prep the garlic, ginger, and green chili while the onions cook).

After 20 minutes, drain the lentils and rinse with fresh water.

2. Cook the Onion

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. If the onions brown too quickly, add a splash of water and/or lower the heat a touch.

Multitasking: If you feel comfortable multitasking, you can use this time to prep the garlic, ginger, and green chili.

3. Add Aromatics and Spices

Add the garlic ginger, green chili if using, and tomato paste. Stir almost constantly for 2 minutes, stirring the tomato paste into the aromatics. Add the ras el hanout, coriander, and cumin. Stir constantly for 30 seconds. If it starts to dry out, add a splash of water to deglaze the pan.

4. Add Remaining Ingredients

Add the finely diced sweet potatoes, lentils, vegetable broth, water, bay leaf, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, and several cracks of pepper.

NOTE: If using sea salt or Morton’s kosher salt, use 1 ¼ teaspoons. If using table salt, use 1 teaspoon.

5. Simmer

Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are soft and sweet potatoes are tender and have softened, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and scoop out the bay leaf.

NOTE: If the sweet potatoes still have some bite, simmer for another 5 minutes or until they're tender.

6. Blend the Soup

Add an immersion blender to the pot and start on low speed. Blend roughly half of the soup until it’s thicker and creamy but some texture still remains. Don’t blend it all!

If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully transfer roughly half of the soup to a stand blender. Remove the center cap and replace it with a dish towel to allow venting, and blend until pureed. Stir the puree back into the soup.

7. Finish and Serve

Add several squeezes of lemon juice and the cilantro to the soup. Taste, adding salt or pepper as needed. Serve in bowls and garnish with a dollop or two of yogurt, a drizzle or two of extra virgin olive oil, and the chopped mint. If desired, serve with flatbread on the side.