Mediterranean Lentil Soup with Kale - hearty, healthy & vegan!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: Not specified
  • Cook time: Not specified
  • Total time: Not specified
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Recipes
  • Cuisine: Kitchen notes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 4 big garlic cloves (chopped)
  • 1 onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 to matoes (chopped)
  • 1.25 cups chopped kale leaves (firmly packed)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground sumac
  • ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • salt (to taste)
  • 1.5 tablespoon oil
  • 4-5 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons parsley leaves (chopped)
  • cilantro (chopped to garnish)

Method

  1. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add chopped onion and garlic. Saute for a minute or two.
  2. Add chopped tomatoes and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
  3. Now add the chopped kale, mix and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add red lentils and mix.
  5. Add all the dry spices - cumin powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, cinnamon powder and ground sumac. Also add the salt, mix and cook for a minute.
  6. Now add water and chopped parsley leaves.
  7. Cover and cook till lentils are soft and cooked, around 20-25 minutes on medium heat.
  8. Once the lentils are done, switch off the gas stove and let the soup cool down a bit.
  9. When the soup has cooled down slightly, transfer half of it to a blender and blend to a smooth paste. I like to blend only half of it so that I still have solid lentils in my soup but you can blend the entire soup.
  10. Transfer the blended soup to the soup in the pan and mix.
  11. Simmer the soup for 10 more minutes and adjust the consistency as per your preference. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
  12. Serve hot with some pita bread on the side!

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.