Spiced Lentil Soup

I’m enjoying lentils this winter. They are delicious and filling. I love this recipe, it uses a combination of spices that make the lentils taste exotic. Feel free to increase or decrease the vegetables and spices. Adding toppings can make or break a soup. Try adding preserved lemon, parsley or sour cream instead of yogurt. This recipe can be vegan. The recipe is adapted from Emile Guelpa.


Spiced Lentil Soup

1 T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 ribs of celery, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
pinch of saffron threads
2 1/2 t ground cumin
2 t coriander
1 T Sriracha
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (OK to use Better than Bullion)
1 cup dried red lentils
salt to taste
yogurt for serving

Heat oil and saute onion, celery, and carrot until soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add spices and Sriracha and saute for a couple minutes or until fragrant. Add broth and lentils. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Simmer about 20 minutes or until everything is soft. Taste and if needed, add salt or more cumin, coriander or Sriracha. At this point you can either blend the soup or serve chunky. Serve with tablespoon of yogurt.