American · main

Classic Lentil Soup with Cumin

Classic Lentil Soup with Cumin reads citrus 4.8, sourness 4.6 and umami 4.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a American main, about 53 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.6 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.0 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 6.2 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 3.4 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 3.9 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 4.8 · Sourness 4.6 · Umami 4.2 · Allium 4.1 · Salinity 3.9 · Richness 3.5 · Sweetness 3.4 · Earthy 2.9 · Herbaceous 2.4 · Smoke 2.3 · Warm Spice 2.1 · Fruity 2.1 · Bitterness 1.2 · Nutty 1.1 · Floral 0.8 · Heat 0.8

What's in it (16)

• olive oil — 27 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• carrots — 120 g
• celery — 80 g
• garlic — 12 g
• cumin — 30 g
• smoked paprika — 5 g
• tomato paste — 30 g
• black lentils — 355 g
• vegetable broth — 1420 g
• tomatoes — 411 g
• bay — 2 g
• salt — 7 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• lemon juice — 30 g
• cilantro — 7 g

Time & effort: about 53 min (52 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 65.6 kcal, 3.8 g protein, 0.7 g fat, 11.4 g carbs

Dietary: Vegan — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the onion turns translucent, 6-8 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika; cook until fragrant and the spices darken slightly, about 1 minute.
3. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it darkens to a brick-red color and coats the vegetables, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the lentils, broth, diced tomatoes with their juices, and bay leaf, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
5. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a full boil, about 5 minutes.
6. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 30-35 minutes.
7. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, puree about one-third of the soup directly in the pot (or carefully transfer 2 cups to a stand blender, puree, and return it) to thicken the base while leaving plenty of whole lentils for texture, about 1 minute.
8. Stir in the salt and black pepper and simmer 5 minutes more, until the soup coats the back of a spoon.
9. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and taste, adding more salt if needed. Ladle into bowls and top with chopped cilantro.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili — American
• Turkey Taco Skillet with Corn and Black Beans — Tex-Mex
• One-Pot Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potato — American
• Skillet Chicken Fajita Bowl — Tex-Mex
• Vegetarian Fajita Bowl with Peppers and Black Beans — Tex-Mex

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, umami mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.