Favourite Red Lentil Soup

This red lentil soup leans Middle Eastern with a quiet pinch of dried mint and a hit of paprika, all simmered into rich beef stock until the lentils break down and thicken the broth on their own. The mint isn’t a garnish here, it’s stirred right in to perfume the whole pot.

Red lentils are the right pulse for soup because they cook fast and dissolve into the liquid without any blending required. They lose their shape entirely, which is what gives the soup its naturally creamy body without any dairy. Sweated onions add savory depth before any liquid hits the pot.

Kitchen Tips

• Rinse the red lentils until the water runs nearly clear. Unrinsed lentils carry starch and dust that scums the surface and dulls the soup color.
• Sweat the onions slowly until soft and golden, not just translucent. The deeper color builds the flavor base for the whole pot.
• Pureeing is optional but pays off. A few pulses with an immersion blender takes the soup from rustic to velvety without losing all the texture.
• Add a squeeze of fresh lemon at the table. Lentil soups go flat without acid, and a wedge per bowl wakes everything up.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of ground cumin and a pinch of cayenne for a more North African-leaning bowl.
• Use vegetable stock in place of beef for a vegetarian version, with a splash of olive oil at the end for richness.
• Stir in a handful of fresh spinach during the last 5 minutes of cooking for color and a vegetable boost.