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Greek Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

Name: Greek Red Lentil Soup with Lemon
Prep time: 46 min
Total time: 46 min
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: olive oil — 27 g; yellow onion — 110 g; carrots — 120 g; garlic — 12 g; tomato paste — 15 g; dried leaf oregano — 1 g; cumin — 3 g; red lentils — 355 g; tomatoes — 411 g; low-sodium beef broth — 1420 g; bay — 2 g; salt — 7 g; black pepper — 3 g; lemon — 65 g; baby spinach — 473 g; dill — 15 g

Greek Red Lentil Soup with Lemon reads citrus 5.7, sourness 5.3 and fruity 4.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Greek main, about 46 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 4.2 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 5.6 / 10
Sour & Bright — 7.3 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.3 / 10
Rich & Fat — 3.8 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 5.7 · Sourness 5.3 · Fruity 4.7 · Allium 4.3 · Umami 3.8 · Salinity 3.6 · Richness 3.5 · Sweetness 3.2 · Herbaceous 2.8 · Earthy 2.1 · Warm Spice 1.7 · Floral 1.3 · Bitterness 1.1 · Nutty 0.8 · Heat 0.8

What's in it (16)

olive oil — 27 g
yellow onion — 110 g
carrots — 120 g
garlic — 12 g
tomato paste — 15 g
dried leaf oregano — 1 g
cumin — 3 g
red lentils — 355 g
tomatoes — 411 g
low-sodium beef broth — 1420 g
bay — 2 g
salt — 7 g
black pepper — 3 g
lemon — 65 g
baby spinach — 473 g
dill — 15 g

Time & effort: about 46 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 57.4 kcal, 4.1 g protein, 0.5 g fat, 9.7 g carbs

How it's cooked (8 steps)

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden at the edges, 6-7 minutes.
Add the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and cumin. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the tomato paste has darkened slightly, about 1-2 minutes.
Add the lentils and stir to coat them in the aromatics, about 1 minute.
Pour in the diced tomatoes and broth, then add the bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Raise the heat and bring to a full boil, 5-6 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally to keep the lentils from sticking, until the lentils have broken down and the soup has thickened to a hearty, stew-like consistency, 25-28 minutes.
Remove and discard the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon zest and juice.
Stir in the spinach and cook just until wilted, 1-2 minutes.
Taste and add more salt or lemon juice as needed. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and scatter with fresh dill to serve.

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Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, fruity 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.