Middle Eastern vegetable & lentil soup
2
Points® value
Total Time
2 hr
Prep
15 min
Cook
1 hr 45 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
You’ll just need a Dutch oven or a large pot to make this wholesome one-pot soup. Lentils, onion, eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes make up the bulk of this soup that gets brightened at the last minute with the addition of fresh lemon zest and juice. It’s best to add lemon zest and juice at the end because if cooked too long, the flavour can turn bitter. Lentils—one of the most ancient foods known to man—have long been a favourite staple for soups and stews throughout the Middle East. And unlike dried beans, they don’t require soaking and cook in 20 to 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 tbsp(s)
Onion
1 large
Celery
2 stalk(s), medium, chopped
Garlic
3 clove(s), large, minced
Ground cumin
2 tsp(s)
Vegetable broth
6 cup(s), fat-free, low-sodium
Dry lentils
1¼ cup(s), picked over, rinsed, and drained
Eggplant
5 cup(s), diced, from about 1 medium
Zucchini
2 medium, diced
Tomato
1 medium, chopped
Table salt
½ tsp(s)
Lemon zest
2 tsp(s)
Fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp(s)
Black pepper
⅛ tsp(s), freshly ground, or to taste