The Very Best Lentil Soup

Hello, welcome to Djalali Cooks. Happy Valentine’s Day! Lentil Soup might not be the most romantic dinner, but a chilly Monday calls for a warm and hearty soup to start the week. Today’s recipe for Lentil Soup is wonderful on its own; super-flavorful and hearty, but it’s the toppings that really win me over. Lemony green sauce, sour cream, chili crunch and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar take this lentil soup from great to The Very Best Lentil Soup. Are you ready to get started? Let’s do it!

This recipe comes from the Abra Berens book, Grist: A Practical Guide to Cooking Grains, Beans, Seeds and Legumes. For today’s recipe, I have chosen to leave the soup chunky, rather than using an immersion blender to emulsify the soup. I prefer to have the potatoes and carrots intact, for a little texture variety. I have used split lentils, rather than split peas. And instead of making a chili oil, I have topped the soup with my favorite Chili Crunch condiment.

Soup Base

For the soup base we have onion and garlic, we also have the flavor boosting, umami-rich power of anchovy filets. A cup of white wine rounds out the base. Get the diced onion, minced garlic and 3-4 anchovy filets sautéing over medium-high heat with a generous glug of olive oil. Season with a good pinch of Kosher Salt. When the onions are soft (about 5-7 minutes) pour in the white wine.

Let the wine vigorously simmer until it’s reduced by about half (7 minutes, or so). Add the carrot, potatoes and split lentils, or split peas. Then add 8 cups of water. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally for 25 minutes.

The soup will be thick and most of the liquid will be absorbed and cooked off. If you want an emulsified soup, use an immersion blender or blend the soup in batches in a blender to a smooth consistency. I prefer the bite and chew of the lentils, carrots and potatoes, so I left this version chunky.

Taste the soup for seasoning and add Kosher salt as needed. Remove from heat.

To make the lemony parsley sauce, combine about 1/2 cup of chopped parsley with the juice and zest of 1 lemon. Stir and drizzle in about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of Kosher salt. Mix well to combine.

Ladle portions of the soup into wide bowls.

Now For The Toppings!

I used aged balsamic vinegar, which is thicker and sweeter than regular balsamic. You can use regular balsamic or even a balsamic reduction, if you like. Drizzle on the balsamic vinegar. Then spoon on some chili oil, or chili crunch.

Dollop on the lemony, herby green sauce and follow that with dollops of sour cream, or if you have crema (like I do, here), drizzle that on. As you can imagine, the balsamic adds a rich depth of flavor. The lemony green sauce brightens everything up. Sour cream or crema adds a pop of tang and richness. Chili crunch brings a little heat and nice crunchy texture variation. The carrots and potatoes are tender but not at all mushy; they hold their shape and make for nice bite.

The Very Best Lentil Soup

Well, thank you so much for joining me today, for this amazingly simple yet incredibly good Lentil Soup. As I mentioned at the top, the toppings on this soup really send it over an edge. And just think how many other soups out there become more extraordinary by adding some combination of flavor-punching toppings like herby green sauce, or balsamic vinegar. It’s a fun thing to experiment with! Try it on my Chipotle Pumpkin Soup. Do make this soup and let me know what your thoughts are on the toppings! Take care and be well, xo Kelly.

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The Very Best Lentil Soup

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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Dinner, Main Course – American

By Adapted from Abra Berens – Serves: 6-8

Prep Time: 10 Minutes – Cooking Time: ~40 – Total Time: ~50 Minutes

Chunky lentil soup with balsamic, lemon herb sauce, chili crunch and sour cream. It's hearty, bright and rich. The Very Best Lentil Soup.

Ingredients

• 2-3 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 Onion, diced
• 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 4 Anchovy Filets
• Kosher Salt
• 1 cup White Wine or Hard Cider
• 2 cups Red or Green Lentils – or Split Peas (green or yellow)
• 1-2 Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (yielding about 1 cup)
• 2 Carrots, cut into chunks (yielding about 1/2 cup)
• Toppings for Each Portion
• 1 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tsp. Chili Crunch
• 1 tbsp. Lemon Parsley Sauce
• 1/2 tbsp. Sour Cream
• Herby Green Sauce
• 1/2 cup Chopped Parsley
• Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon
• 2-3 tbsp. Olive Oil
• Pinch of Kosher Salt

Instructions

1

In a dutch oven or large heavy bottom pot, combine the diced onion, minced garlic and 3-4 anchovy filets with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Season with a pinch of Kosher salt. Sauté while stirring occasionally until the onions are soft.

2

When the onions are soft (about 5-7 minutes) pour in the white wine.

3

Let the wine vigorously simmer until it's reduced by about half (7 minutes, or so). Add the carrot, potatoes and lentils. Then add 8 cups of water. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally for 25 minutes.

4

The soup will be thick and most of the liquid will be absorbed and cooked off. If you want an emulsified soup, use an immersion blender or blend the soup in batches in a blender to a smooth consistency.

5

Taste the soup for seasoning and add Kosher salt as needed. Remove from heat.

6

Ladle portions of the soup into wide bowls.

7

Drizzle on the balsamic vinegar. Then spoon on some chili oil, or chili crunch.

8

Dollop on the lemony, herby green sauce and follow that with dollops of sour cream.

Herby Green Sauce

9

To make the lemony parsley sauce, combine about 1/2 cup of chopped parsley with the juice and zest of 1 lemon. Stir and drizzle in about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of Kosher salt. Mix well to combine.