Easy Greek Crimson Red Lentil Soup

Surprise your taste buds in the best way possible with this red lentil soup prepared in Greek style. Mostly, vegan but you can add feta if you like, this dish will soon become your comfort food as you will keep asking for more. Mostly, Mediterranean, this fast-cooking soup will give you, health and taste in a pot.

So, without much ado, let’s take a look at the list of ingredients:

Ingredients:

• 3 tsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 3 tsp dry oregano
• 1 ½ tsp cumin
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes by Pride of India
• 2 dry bat leaves by Pride of India
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 7 cups vegetable broth, if possible low in sodium
• 2 cups crimson red lentils by Pride of India, rinsed and drained
• Kosher salt
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Fresh parsley for garnish
• Crumbled feta cheese to serve, optional

Preparation:

• Heat extra virgin olive oil in a pot until it is hot enough to shimmer but not smoking. Add onions, garlic, and carrots to it and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Stir frequently. Add bay leaves and spices.
• Cook for another few seconds till it's fragrant. Keep stirring the spices so that it doesn’t get burned.
• Add crushed tomatoes, lentils, and broth to the pot and season with kosher salt. Bring it to a boil then, lower the heat to simmer it for 15 to 20 minutes, until it's fully cooked.
• Remove from heat. Let the soup cool a bit before using an immersion blender to make a pure.
• Pulse a few times till you reach the required consistency you are looking for. Put the pureed soup to heat and stir a bit to warm through. While, doing so add lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley.
• Transfer the soup to serving bowls and top it with extra virgin olive oil. At this time, you can add the feta cheese if you like.
• Serve hot with your favorite crusty bread.