Recipes on the Internet are often titled THE BEST or even, BEST EVER. I can’t necessarily add those superlatives to the recipe here, although the soup is very good. I will say, learning to make lentil soup—whether you use my recipe or not—could, in fact, change your life. Why? Because it’s endlessly variable and always satisfying.
The depth of flavor in this soup comes from the combination of tomato paste and smoked paprika, both of which get lightly toasted. I also think the vinegar added at the end for some brightness is non-negotiable, but you can try lemon juice instead. Otherwise, you can change the recipe however you like. Switch up the spices or use celery instead of fennel. For the greens, you can swap the spinach for stemmed kale or Swiss chard; just be sure to give them a few minutes to simmer to tenderness. For a thicker soup, use less water. To enrich the broth, add a piece of Parmesan rind. You can also top the soup with grated cheese.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 small fennel bulb, stalks removed, bulb cut into bite-sized pieces
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup black lentils or French green lentils, rinsed
- 8 cups of your favorite broth or just use water
- 5 ounces baby spinach leaves
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Preparation
In a pot, heat the ¼ cup olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and fennel, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until it glazes the bottom of the pot, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, and smoked paprika and cook until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the lentils and broth and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Add the spinach, a handful at a time, stirring until wilted. Add the vinegar and heat for about 30 seconds. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with olive oil and serve.
