Step 1

To start making your red lentil soup, begin washing, chopping, and dicing all the veggies: carrot, celery and onion into large chunks. Then, peel and roughly chop the ginger (optional) and peel the garlic cloves.

Step 2

In a food processor, dice the carrot, celery, onion, ginger and garlic together. If you don’t have a food processor, you can dice everything by hand into small pieces and mince the garlic and ginger.

Step 3

Next, heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add oil. Once heated, add the diced vegetable mixture and sauté for a couple of minutes.

Step 4

Add ground cumin, turmeric, and paprika to the pot. Stir well to coat the veggies with the spices.

Step 5

Add vegetable broth (or water and vegetable bouillon cubes) to the pot. Then add canned crushed tomatoes and red split lentils. Stir well.

Step 6

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through.

Step 7

Stir occasionally to prevent the lentils from sticking to the bottom. Adjust the consistency by adding more water or vegetable broth if necessary.

Step 8

Once the lentils are cooked, turn the heat off and add chopped kale, baby spinach or any greens and a splash of lemon juice. Stir well.

Step 9

Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy this vegan lentil soup right away or store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days (or freezer for up to a month!).