Mediterranean Lentil Soup
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp
- large yellow onion 2 cup
- Kosher
- medium carrots 6-7 oz
- garlic cloves 6
- preserved lemon peel 2 tbsp
- Aleppo pepper for spicy 1.5-2 tsp
- ground coriander 2 tsp
- vegetable broth 4 cup
- water or more broth 1 cup
- green lentils or brown lentils 1 cup
- nutritional yeast 2-3 tbsp
- bay leaves 2
- fresh thyme sprigs 8-10
- medium lemon 1
- fresh basil leaves 1 cup
- Flaky
- plain-flavored yogurt ½ cup
- Crusty bread to serve 4-6
You can include the preserved lemon flesh but remove seeds and rinse the flesh, as it’s salty. If you don’t have preserved lemons, skip this. Add 1 tbsp lemon zest to the soup when it’s done simmering. If using low-sodium vegetable broth, you will need to add considerably more salt. If you're using Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base, start with 2 1/2 tsp for 5 cup water, then add more as desired. If you don’t have kitchen twine, just add the herbs loose (and fish them out at the end). I love using mostly basil with a little bit of dill. The basil is best when used on day 1 though, as the basil in leftover herb oil will blacken in the fridge. The active/inactive times assume you multitask. Since the onions take a while to brown, I use this downtime to prep everything else: chop carrots, garlic, lemon peel, measure out spices, etc. Storage: Leftovers will be good for 5 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Storage: And you can absolutely freeze this soup—for up to 3 months! I love these Souper Cubes for freezing individual portions (which defrost much quicker than a large batch), but whichever container you use, leave a bit of headspace before freezing.
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1Gather: extra virgin olive oil , large yellow onion , Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, medium carrots , garlic cloves , preserved lemon peel , Aleppo pepper for spicy , ground coriander , vegetable broth , water or more broth , green lentils or brown lentils , nutritional yeast . For the bouquet garni: use kitchen twine to tie together (see note 3): bay leaves , fresh thyme sprigs . For the for serving:: medium lemon , fresh basil leaves , Flaky sea salt, plain-flavored yogurt , Crusty bread to serve .
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2Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high. Once shimmering, add the onions plus 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Cook until the onions have softened and are golden brown, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. If the onions brown too quickly, add a splash of water and scrape up any browned bits. While the onions cook, you can prep some of the other ingredients.
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3Add the carrots, garlic, and preserved lemon peel. Stir frequently until the carrots are just starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the Aleppo pepper and coriander, and stir constantly for 30 seconds . If things are browning quickly or the spices dry out, deglaze with a splash of water and lower the heat a bit.
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4Pour in a splash of broth and scrape up any browned bits. Add the remaining broth, 1 cup water, lentils, the herb bundle, and about 10 twist of black pepper. Stir well, cover, and bring to a boil.
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5Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes , or until the lentils are tender, occasionally uncovering to ensure the soup isn’t bubbling rapidly (the lentils will cook unevenly).
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6While the soup simmers, make the herb oil: Zest the lemon. Finely chop the fresh herbs. Mix the herbs and lemon zest together in a small bowl. Stir in 2 tbsp good-quality olive oil and season with 2 pinch of flaky sea salt. Taste, adding more olive oil or salt as desired (I like more olive oil for richness and so it becomes a looser “herb oil”).
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7While the soup simmers, make the yogurt sauce (optional): Juice the lemon. In a small bowl, mix the yogurt with 1 tbsp lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.
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8When the lentils are tender, scoop out the bay leaves and thyme; discard. Stir in the nutritional yeast and gently cook, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes . Remove from the heat and stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice. Taste, adding more lemon juice or salt as desired. For a richer, savory flavor, add the extra 1 tbsp nutritional yeast.
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9Serve soup in bowls and spoon with the herb oil and a dollop of yogurt sauce, if using. Serve with crusty bread.