Ingredients
Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil 27 g
- 1 medium yellow onion 150 g, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic 9 g, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2.1 g
- 1 pound carrots 450 g trimmed weight, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
- 1 cup dry split red lentils 192 g; picked over and rinsed
- 1 liter water About 4 1/4 US cups; plus more as needed to thin
- 1 teaspoon fine table salt 6 g
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 30 g
Optional finish
- chopped fresh parsley For serving; optional.
- olive oil A light drizzle for serving; optional.
Equipment
- 4-quart heavy saucepan
- Immersion blender Keep the head submerged to avoid hot splashes.
- Fine-mesh strainer For rinsing lentils.
Instructions
Cook and blend
- Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until softened without deep browning. Add the garlic and cumin; stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the carrots, rinsed lentils, water and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Partly cover and cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils have broken down and the carrots crush easily. Add a splash of water if needed to keep the mixture from catching.
- Turn off the heat. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth, keeping its head fully submerged. Stir in the lemon juice. Add water a little at a time until the soup pours easily from a spoon; warm gently if needed.
- Divide among four bowls. Add a little chopped parsley and a light drizzle of olive oil if desired. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F.
Nutrition
Calories: 297kcalCarbohydrates: 46.2gProtein: 13.5gFat: 7.7gSaturated Fat: 1.1gSodium: 666mgPotassium: 766mgFiber: 9gSugar: 8.1gCalcium: 72mgIron: 4mg
Notes
Nutrition is an estimate for one quarter of the pot using USDA ingredient data; generic dry lentils are a proxy for split red lentils. Optional parsley, bread and other toppings are excluded. The water amount can be adjusted without changing the total pot's nutrients.
Store refrigerated at 40°F or below for 3–4 days; reheat to 165°F, stirring and adding water as needed. Do not use a sealed personal blender for hot soup.