Easy Lentil Soup With Lemon Zest, Garlic, and Parsley Recipe

Name: Easy Lentil Soup With Lemon Zest, Garlic, and Parsley Recipe
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons grated zest and 2 tablespoons juice from 1 to 2 lemons; 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves; 6 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons); 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, finely chopped (about 1 cup); 1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1 cup); 1 large carrot, peeled finely diced (about 1 cup); 2 stalks celery, finely diced (about 1 cup); 1 pound dried brown or Puy lentils; 2 bay leaves; 2 quarts homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock

An easy lentil soup is packed with flavor thanks to a dual-use mixture of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest that gets added both before and after cooking.

Why this recipe works:

We keep it simple with just basic aromatics and good stock as the background for dried lentils.
A mixture of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest combined with olive oil goes into the vegetables as they are sautéed and also gets stirred into the soup just before serving for maximum flavor.

Gremolata is the Secret to the Tastiest Simple Lentil Soup

Active: 25 mins

Total: 90 mins

Serves: 3 to 4 servings

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2 tablespoons grated zest and 2 tablespoons juice from 1 to 2 lemons
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
6 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
1 large carrot, peeled finely diced (about 1 cup)
2 stalks celery, finely diced (about 1 cup)
1 pound dried brown or Puy lentils
2 bay leaves
2 quarts homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock

Combine lemon zest, parsley, garlic, and half of olive oil in a medium bowl and stir with a fork until homogenous. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat remaining olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add leek, onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add half of parsley-lemon mixture and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add lentils and stir until coated in oil. Add bay leaves and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer, cover with lid slightly cracked, and cook until lentils are completely tender and falling apart, about 1 hour, adding water as necessary (lentils should be fully covered at all times).
Using a hand blender, blend soup until as smooth as desired. Alternatively, transfer half of soup to a standing blender, blend until smooth, and fold back into remaining soup. Whisk in lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, drizzling extra lemon-parsley mixture on top of each serving. Soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Special Equipment

microplane grater, large Dutch oven, immersion blender or standing blender

This Recipe Appears In

Gremolata is the Secret to the Tastiest Simple Lentil Soup

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
339	Calories
27g	Fat
17g	Carbs
9g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories	339
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g	35%
Saturated Fat 4g	19%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 1638mg	71%
Total Carbohydrate 17g	6%
Dietary Fiber 3g	12%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 22mg	110%
Calcium 103mg	8%
Iron 3mg	16%
Potassium 775mg	16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.