Rustic Lentil Soup

Have you ever overindulged and felt like you need to hit the restart button? Well, same here. This rustic lentil soup is my vegetable-packed meal that is filling yet health conscience to get back on track.

It's summertime as I write this post, but soup is always in season to me. It remains the easiest way to add vegetables of all types into your diet and my favorite part — you'll have leftovers.

I've used chicken broth as the liquid in this soup, but feel free to use vegetable broth to make this fully vegetarian/vegan. Serve with a spritz of lemon juice and garnish with basil if you're feeling boujee. Hint: You all know how I’m serving mine.

As always, may the inspiration found here find light in your kitchen.

XO//CATH

---

THE RECIPE

2 cups green lentils

1 onion, chopped

1 can (14 oz.) crushed tomatoes

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 whole carrot, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

2 Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp pepper

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

4 cups water

In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium/high heat. Chop the garlic, onions, celery, carrot, pepper, and put in pot. Sauté for about 10-12 mins, or until lightly browned on edges. Add all spices, then the tomatoes. Mix well. Add the lentils and combine.

Add remaining ingredients, pouring the broth and water into the pot. Simmer on low/medium heat for about 1-2 hours.

Use a hand blender (if you have one) to blend half the pot of soup, leaving the remaining half untouched. This creates the "rustic" feel for the soup and gives it a creamy texture, without the cream. If using a regular blender, just spoon half the soup into a blender and pulse a few times, then put it back in pot to simmer.

Serve with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice and basil leaf. Enjoy!