Lentil Soup With Cilantro (Lots of It)
Updated Feb. 9, 2023
- Total Time
- About 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- 1¼teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
- Pinch of cayenne
- ½pound brown lentils (about 1⅛ cups), picked over and rinsed
- 1small onion, cut in half
- 1bay leaf
- 1½quarts water
- Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1cup chopped cilantro (from 1 large bunch)
- Plain low-fat yogurt for garnish
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
236 calories; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 14 grams protein; 1017 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat, and add the garlic. Stir until fragrant, about a minute, and stir in the cumin and cayenne. Add the lentils, onion, bay leaf, water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 40 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the broth aromatic. Add pepper, taste and adjust salt. Remove the halved onion and the bay leaf.
- Step 2
Coarsely puree the soup in an immersion blender or food mill. Alternatively, puree half the soup in blender, 1½ cups at time, being careful to cover the top of the blender with a towel to avoid hot splashes, then stir back into the soup. Heat through.
- Step 3
Chop the cilantro, discarding the stems. Stir into the soup just before serving. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve, topping each bowl with a dollop of yogurt.
- Advance preparation: The soup can be made through step 2 up to a day ahead of time. You may need to thin it out with a little water.Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.
Private Notes
Comments
I love this soup. I always use a whole pound of lentils and just 2 quarts of water. I also chop my onion, instead of leaving it whole and removing. More salt and cumin. I use 2 whole cilantro bunches, stems and all, finely chopped. Immersion blender for finishing. Serve with whole milk plain yogurt - delish!
I doubled the recipe and used a dutch oven to cook. I used and kept chopped onion in the soup instead of a half onion. I also added two cinnamon sticks when adding the onion, bay leaves, etc. The cinnamon sticks give it a wonderful, unique flavor. I also added shredded carrot to the soup. I decided to go with the alternative of pureeing half of the soup giving it a nice mixed texture of puree and whole lentils. Delicious!!
Great recipe! I would advise to DOUBLE the amount of lentils, add more salt and add a few potatoes! Then it would become an EXCELLENT recipe.
This is one of our go-to recipes! It’s so simple, so yummy, and we almost always have all of the ingredients on hand. I do what others have recommended with 1 lb lentils 2 quarts of veggie broth. I also dice the onion and just leave it in. I love adding some fresh shredded carrots and fresh diced celery at the very end. It gives it a nice crunch and brightness. I tried using our instant pot / pressure cooker for this for the first time, and it worked pretty well. 15 mins on high was a bit too long for the lentils—they came out pretty soft, and we like them to have some bite to them. I think next time I’ll try 10 mins and a bit less water.
I haven't made this yet, but since I have a huge bunch of cilantro at the ready, I'm ready. Has anyone made this in the pressure cooker?
Best lentil soup I ever ate. With that, I changed the recipe a bit. First, I halved the recipe, but added more cumin than the full recipe calls for. I also added a dash of cinnamon, a dash of ground coriander, dash of smoked paprika, extra onion (a whole onion), which I diced and sauteed with the garlic, and a smidge of veggie bullion. Added a diced potato to give it some richness.