Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion (about 1 cup), finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
1 cup split red lentils, sorted, rinsed, and drained*
1 large carrots (1/2 cup), peeled and thinly sliced
1 rib celery (1/2 cup), finely chopped, or raw zucchini
4 cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
Black pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a 4-5 quart pot. Add onion and garlic, sautéing until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add lentils, carrots, celery, broth, cumin, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 7-10 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
3. Season with black pepper.

Cooking Notes

*Red lentils are usually split and will cook quickly! If your lentils are whole, they will take longer to cook and you may need to add an additional 15 minutes to the cooking time. Before cooking, it’s always best to rinse and sort your lentils, removing any dirt, stray pebbles, or twigs.

To add thickness to soup, puree 1-2 cups of the soup and return to the pot. If a smoother consistency is preferred, puree all of the soup! (My husband and I like it “chunky” just the way it is without pureeing).

Makes approximately 5, 1 cup servings

© Mary Hunt
2/21/24