Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

  1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or pot. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery, cooking for 5–7 minutes until softened.
  2. Stir in the minced garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground turmeric, smoked paprika, and ground cinnamon. Stir constantly for 60 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes until the paste turns a deep mahogany color.
  4. Stir in the rinsed red lentils to coat them in the spice mixture.
  5. Pour in the vegetable broth and diced tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
  6. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils are soft and the soup has naturally thickened.
  7. Remove from heat. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.