This Lebanese lentil soup is the kind of soup you could eat 3-4 days in a row without complaining - an easy recipe for a rich, nourishing, healthy, and flavorful one-pot meal.
Chop 2 onions and 2 carrots. Grate 3 garlic cloves finely but keep them separated from the rest.
Sauté: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Cook onions and carrots for 3-4 minutes or until softer. Add the finely chopped garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the spices and stir for 1 minute.2 teaspoons oregano + 1 teaspoon rosemary + 1 ½ teaspoon cumin + 1 teaspoon coriander + ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Add 1 can of crushed tomatoes, 5 cups of vegetable stock, 1 ½ cups of lentils (rinsed), and ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt (Note 2).
Simmer lentil soup: Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are soft.
Blend the soupshortly with an immersion blender. It should be somewhat smooth but slightly chunky.
Adjust the taste with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste again and add a bit more lemon juice if necessary. Sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with a little olive oil before serving.
Notes
Split or whole red lentils. Whole ones need a longer cooking time, while the split lentils are cooked after about 15 minutes. A soup cooked with split lentils will be thicker, as they will disintegrate slightly.
If using table salt, start with less and add more to taste.