In my opinion, a bright and refreshing soup is the perfect way to welcome spring, and this vegan Mediterranean Lentil Soup is the perfect comforting meal for the rainy days to come. A rich and flavorful broth loaded with veggies, lentils, and kale will fill you up for pennies and is a great recipe for fridge clean out day. Finish it off with a squeeze of lemon juice for a delicious and easy weeknight meal.
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Why Make Mediterranean Lentil Soup?
The first time I experienced cinnamon in a savory dish was while cooking at a Lebanese restaurant and it was life changing! This Mediterranean Lentil Soup is the perfect introduction to the savory use of cinnamon. This clean and flavorful lentil soup is a vegan flavor explosion. It’s loaded with protein and fiber, naturally gluten-free, and super versatile. You can toss in just about any veggie or green, so raid the fridge and get cooking!
Ingredients for Mediterranean Lentil Soup
Here’s what you’ll need to make Mediterranean lentil soup:
- Oil: Olive oil is our preferred choice in this recipe for its Mediterranean flavor profile, but vegetable or canola oil will work in a pinch.
- Mirepoix: A combination of small diced yellow onion, carrots, and celery creates an earthy and sweet base of flavor for this soup.
- Garlic: The large pieces of crushed garlic versus mincing it fine is intentional to bring out the natural sweetness and flavor of cooked garlic instead of the sometimes-overwhelming bite it has when minced.
- Cumin: Adds a savory and nutty Mediterranean flavor to this soup.
- Cinnamon: A great savory application of the spice! It will warm you up from the inside out and make your house smell fantastic.
- Lentils: We used brown lentils for their firm texture.
- Vegetable Broth: We used Vegetable flavored Better Than Bouillon in this recipe. If using another brand, make sure salt is not the first ingredient or it’s a waste of money!
- Lemon Juice: Gives the soup a brightness that is seriously addictive. You can use fresh-squeezed lemon juice and save half of your lemon for garnishing each bowl, or you can use a bottled lemon juice. I always have lemons in the kitchen, so we had some to garnish with, too!
- Kale: Swiss chard, rainbow chard, spinach, escarole, and all varieties of kale work great, too.
- Salt and Pepper: Enhance the natural flavors of the soup.
Which color lentils are best for soup?
Brown or green lentils work best for this soup, as they will keep their shape after cooking, which is what we’re looking for texture-wise. Red lentils are not recommended because they cook quicker and will dissolve into the soup as they cook, creating a thick and mushy texture.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover Mediterranean lentil soup in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This soup also freezes super well for up to 3 months when stored properly in an air-tight container. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in a pot set over medium-low heat until warmed through.
Mediterranean Lentil Soup
Servings 7 (about 1.5 cups each)Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 1 large yellow onion, diced small ($0.78)
- 2 medium carrots, diced small ($0.24)
- 3 stalks celery, diced small ($0.36)
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed ($0.30)
- 2 tsp ground cumin ($0.20)
- 1 tsp cinnamon ($0.16)
- 1 cup uncooked brown or green lentils ($0.68)
- 8 cups vegetable broth ($1.44)
- 4 oz. lemon juice ($0.48)
- 3 cups kale, chopped and lightly packed ($2.48)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.10)
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils in a strainer under cold water until the water runs clear.
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot set over medium-high heat. Add in the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until they become tender, about 6-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, and cinnamon. Heat until fragrant, about 60 seconds. Add the lentils to the pan and heat for 1-2 minutes to slightly toast.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and lemon juice, then bring the pot to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30-45 minutes.
- Stir in the greens, season with additional salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste before serving.
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how to make Mediterranean Lentil Soup – step by step photos
Rinse 1 cup brown or green lentils in a strainer under cold water until the water runs clear. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large soup pot set over medium-high heat. Add in 1 diced yellow onion, 2 diced medium carrots, and 3 diced stalks celery and cook until they become tender, about 6-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp pepper.
Stir in 5 crushed cloves garlic, 2 tsp ground cumin, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Heat until fragrant, about 60 seconds. Add the lentils to the pan and heat for 1-2 minutes to slightly toast.
Pour in 8 cups vegetable broth and 4 oz. lemon juice, then bring the pot to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30-45 minutes.
Stir in 3 cups chopped kale, season with additional salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste before serving.
This Mediterranean lentil soup is going to be your new favorite!
I liked this but would suggest modifying the amount of spices used based on your taste preference because some may be overpowering.
This recipe is amazing! I am not usually a huge lentil person, but loved this soup. Very flavorful and the perfect rainy day meal.
If you don’t love lemon juice, black pepper, or cinnamon, I would start with a less and then test it, adjusting to your personal taste. I will definitely be making this again and don’t plan to change anything though– I personally really liked the lemony flavor.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks, Katy! Definitely the perfect rainy day meal. I’m glad you were into trying the classic Lebanese flavors!
I am confused on the measurements on the MEDITERRANEAN LENTIL SOUP.
Others as well. Can you tell me how to read them like what is 2.29 table spoons olive oil. there are others with confusing measurements. I guess I am dumb.
Hey, David. The recipe says “2 Tbsp olive oil”. I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but I am happy to try to help you!
It sounds like you changed the serving amount on the recipe! That feature allows you to change the servings and the ingredient amounts change as well to reflect that. The original recipe is 7 servings and I think you changed it to 8. If you change it back you’ll see more “normal” ingredient amounts.
This was absolutely delicious, and following the times listed left me with perfectly tender carrots and celery. Only adjustments I made were using spinach instead of kale, I didn’t have lemon juice available (still incredibly delicious without it), and I threw in a few crushed tomatoes that were starting to soften. Will definitely be making it again in the future!
Hey Rob, so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your substitutions.
Delicious! Makes a great meal prep friendly lunch option. I would make again.
Awesome, thanks Michelle! Glad you enjoyed it.
Loved this recipe, thank you for sharing it!! This was my first time making soup (and my first time eating lentils), and it turned out great!
I only had chicken broth, so I used that instead, and it worked fine. I used it for meal prepping, and it held up really well through the freezing/reheating process. Dinnertime was literally the highlight of my day all week lol, definitely adding this recipe to my rotation!
Amazing, Anna! So glad you liked it. I’m so glad we contributed to your week in a positive way! Thanks for the kind words.
I make soup, stew, or chili every week, so I’ve had quite a few over the years, all vegetarian. Unfortunately, this was not a favorite. It had too much lemon for everyone’s palette and overtook the other flavors.
I just ordered a case of this same type soup from a famous soup company, so I can’t wait to try this recipe. Looks like we can give them a run for their money!
Ooh, let us know how you like it. Thanks, Debbie!
In point 4, the instructions say: “Pour in the vegetable broth, water, and lemon juice”. However, the ingredient list doesn’t include extra water.
Two teaspoons of pepper and half a cup of lemon juice are a lot. I would start with half the amount of both and then adjust to taste.
Good catch! I just fixed it, there shouldn’t be any extra water necessary.
I lived many years in the Middle East, and enjoyed lentil dishes including soup. I can attest that although the pepper and lemon may appear excessive to you, they are appropriate for this recipe, which makes about 2.5 quarts. Lentils are bland and can absorb a lot of extra flavor! I’ve been served lentil soup with sliced lemons floating in it. I’ve never, however had kale in it, more usual greens being spinach or cabbage–we like kale a lot and I see this variation as an improvement. This refined recipe has both a mouth tingling amount of pepper and a pronounced lemony flavor. We liked it–and I did use the recommended amounts of lemon juice and pepper. That said, IMO, all spicing in any recipe is “to taste” whether or not the recipe says so. It’s definitely easier to add more seasoning later than to subtract any.
Steak au poivre uses about this amount of coarsely ground pepper for a single steak, and although I can’t off hand think of other pepper forward recipes, I’m sure there are plenty
I loved reading about your personal experience with this kind of flavor profile, Jan! I make this soup so often for my family. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, too!