Mediterranean lentil soup
Hearty, tomato-rich lentil soup with Mediterranean herbs, spinach and lemon — bright, comforting and ready in under an hour.
This Mediterranean lentil soup is all about bold, sunny flavours without any fuss — tomatoes, smoked paprika and a squeeze of lemon bring the lentils to life. It’s filling enough for a main, light enough for lunch, and very forgiving to cook.
Make it when you want something wholesome and economical that still feels like proper cooking; the bright parsley and lemon keep it fresh so it never tastes heavy.
Ingredients
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion — medium, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves — crushed or finely sliced
- 2 carrots — medium, diced
- 2 celery stalks — trimmed and sliced
- 1 red pepper — deseeded and diced
- 200 g brown lentils — rinsed
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 15 ml tomato purée
- 1.2 l vegetable stock — hot
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 ml sea salt
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 5 ml caster sugar — optional, to balance acidity
- 1 lemon — juice only
- 30 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped, reserve a little for garnish
- 100 g spinach leaves — washed
- 15 ml red wine vinegar — optional, for finishing
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables: finely chop the brown onion, crush the garlic cloves, peel and dice the carrots, slice the celery stalks and dice the red pepper.
Rinse the brown lentils under cold water and pick out any small stones or debris.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium hob. Add the brown onion, carrots, celery stalks and red pepper and sweat gently until softened and starting to colour, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the garlic cloves, smoked paprika, ground cumin, dried oregano and tomato purée and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the tinned chopped tomatoes, rinsed brown lentils, vegetable stock and bay leaf. Stir in the caster sugar, sea salt and black pepper, bring to a gentle simmer then reduce the heat and simmer gently until the lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.
Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the spinach leaves and most of the fresh parsley and simmer for 2 minutes until the spinach has just wilted.
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the juice of the lemon and the red wine vinegar, taste and adjust seasoning. Serve topped with the remaining fresh parsley.
Tips
- Rinse and sort the lentils before you start; it only takes a minute and keeps the texture clean.
- If you prefer a silkier soup, blitz about a third with a handheld blender and stir back in — no need for a separate jug blender.
- Make ahead: the flavours improve overnight. Reheat gently and add a splash of water or stock if too thick.
- Leftovers freeze well in portions for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat until piping hot.
- Adjust acidity at the end with lemon or red wine vinegar rather than adding more salt.
Substitutions
brown lentils → Puy lentils, same weight (stays-close)
Stays closespinach leaves → chard or cavolo nero, same weight (noticeably-different)
Noticeably differenttinned chopped tomatoes → fresh tomatoes, roughly 450 g, peeled and chopped (noticeably-different)
Noticeably differentred wine vinegar → sherry vinegar, same quantity (stays-close)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 320
- Calories
- 12 g
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 600 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use red (masoor) lentils instead?
You can, but red lentils break down quickly and will make a much smoother, thicker soup. Reduce the simmer time to 12–15 minutes and check often.
How can I make this spicier?
Add 1 small chopped chilli with the garlic, or a pinch of chilli flakes with the smoked paprika. Taste as you go to avoid overpowering the dish.
Is it necessary to add sugar?
The caster sugar is optional — it balances acidity from the tomatoes. If your tomatoes are sweet, you can omit it.
How long will leftovers keep?
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge the soup will keep for 3–4 days; freeze in portions for up to 3 months.
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