Pureed Lentil Soup with Lemon and Yogurt

Name: Pureed Lentil Soup with Lemon and Yogurt
Prep time: 22 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 7 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) yellow onion, peeled and chopped into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces; 2 medium (about 6 oz) (170 g) carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch (6 mm) rounds; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic, minced; 2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cumin; ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground turmeric; 1½ cups (300 g) dried yellow split lentils, rinsed and drained; 5 cups (1180 ml) vegetable or chicken broth, low-sodium, hot or at room temperature; 1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste; ½ teaspoon used early and ½ teaspoon at the end; 2 medium (about 5 oz / 140 g each) (280 g) lemons, 1 lemon zested (about 2 teaspoons zest), then both juiced (about 6 tablespoons / 90 ml juice); ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1 cup (as needed, up to) (240 ml) hot water or extra broth, hot, for thinning after blending; ¾ cup (185 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, at cool room temperature, stirred smooth; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 teaspoon (2 g) whole cumin seeds; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A silky, golden Middle Eastern-style soup of yellow split lentils simmered with onion, carrot, garlic and cumin, blended smooth, then brightened with fresh lemon and finished with cool yogurt and cumin-sizzled olive oil.

Prep: 22 min
Cook: 45 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 1 hr 12 min
Makes: About 7 cups (1.7 liters), 6 bowls of roughly 1 cup (240 ml) each

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the soup
3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) yellow onion, peeled and chopped into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces
2 medium (about 6 oz) (170 g) carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch (6 mm) rounds
4 cloves (12 g) garlic, minced
2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cumin
½ teaspoon (1 g) ground turmeric
1½ cups (300 g) dried yellow split lentils, rinsed and drained
5 cups (1180 ml) vegetable or chicken broth, low-sodium, hot or at room temperature
1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste; ½ teaspoon used early and ½ teaspoon at the end
2 medium (about 5 oz / 140 g each) (280 g) lemons, 1 lemon zested (about 2 teaspoons zest), then both juiced (about 6 tablespoons / 90 ml juice)
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
1 cup (as needed, up to) (240 ml) hot water or extra broth, hot, for thinning after blending
To serve
¾ cup (185 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, at cool room temperature, stirred smooth
2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon (2 g) whole cumin seeds
¼ cup (10 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Equipment (6)

4- to 5-quart (4-5 liter) heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven with lid
Immersion blender or upright blender
Fine-mesh sieve
Small skillet or saucepan (for the cumin oil)
Microplane or fine grater
Ladle

Steps

Before you start

Timing: prep_minutes covers about 15 minutes of chopping and measuring plus about 7 minutes of blending and serving. Cook time is the 45 minutes the pot is on the heat. The 5-minute cooling rest is the wait. The cumin oil is made while the soup simmers, so it adds no time.
Rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh sieve under cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain.
Zest 1 lemon first, then juice both lemons. You need about 6 tablespoons (90 ml) of juice and 2 teaspoons of zest. Keep them separate from the pot until the end.
If using an upright blender, plan to blend in batches and vent the lid, because hot soup expands.
Take the yogurt out of the fridge when you start cooking so it doesn't chill the soup.

1
Sauté the aromatics
- Heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil in the pot over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the onion, carrots and ½ teaspoon of the salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 8 to 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent with golden edges; carrots are slightly tender.
Tip: Lower the heat if the onion browns quickly; dark onion makes the soup taste bitter.
2
Bloom the spices
- Stir in the garlic, ground cumin and turmeric.
- Cook, stirring constantly, for 45 to 60 seconds.
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Ready when: Fragrant and the vegetables are coated in a bright yellow-orange paste.
Tip: Don't let the garlic brown. Add a splash of the broth if the pot looks dry.
3
Add lentils and broth
- Add the rinsed lentils and stir to coat in the spices for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the 5 cups (1180 ml) broth and the pepper.
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, which takes about 5 minutes.
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Ready when: Surface is bubbling steadily; grayish-white foam may rise to the top.
Tip: Skim off any foam with a spoon for a cleaner flavor and color.
4
Simmer until soft
- Reduce the heat to low, partially cover with the lid, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Stir every 7 to 8 minutes, scraping the bottom, as split lentils settle and can scorch.
- Start testing at 20 minutes: press a carrot round against the side of the pot with a spoon.
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Ready when: Lentils have fallen apart into a thick, porridge-like soup, and a carrot round crushes with no resistance. If carrots still feel firm, simmer 5 more minutes.
Tip: If the soup gets so thick that it sticks, stir in ½ cup (120 ml) hot water. It will be thinned further after blending.
5
Make the cumin oil
- While the soup simmers, warm the finishing oil and whole cumin seeds in the small skillet over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat as soon as the seeds sizzle and smell toasty, and set aside.
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Ready when: Seeds sizzle gently, darken a shade and smell toasty.
Tip: Pull it off the heat promptly; burnt cumin tastes acrid.
6
Blend until silky
- Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Blend with an immersion blender for 1 to 2 minutes, or ladle into an upright blender in batches filling no more than half full, with the lid vent open and covered with a towel.
- Return to the pot.
- Stir in hot water ¼ cup (60 ml) at a time, up to 1 cup (240 ml) total, until the soup is the consistency of heavy cream: pourable but still coating a spoon.
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Ready when: Completely smooth and creamy with no visible bits of carrot or onion; it falls from a spoon in a thick ribbon.
Tip: Never fill a sealed blender with hot liquid; steam can blow the lid off.
7
Season with lemon
- Set the pot over low heat.
- Stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of the lemon juice.
- Warm for 2 minutes, then taste.
- Add more juice 1 teaspoon at a time, and more salt if needed.
- You will likely use 4 to 5 tablespoons (60 to 75 ml) total.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the 2 teaspoons lemon zest right before serving.
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Ready when: Tastes bright and balanced, with the lemon noticeable but not sharp.
Tip: Keep the soup below a boil once the lemon goes in; long heating dulls the fresh flavor, and zest cooked for long turns bitter.
8
Serve with yogurt
- Ladle the soup into warm bowls.
- Top each with about 2 tablespoons yogurt, swirl lightly with a spoon, drizzle with the sizzled cumin oil and seeds, and scatter with parsley if using.
- Serve hot.
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Ready when: Cool white yogurt swirls visible on the golden soup.
Tip: Add yogurt to each bowl, not the pot, so reheated leftovers don't curdle.

Good to know

Tips

Use split lentils (yellow or red); whole brown or green lentils take longer and blend less smoothly.
Rinse lentils well to reduce foam and any dusty taste.
Season in two stages, salt early and lemon at the end, because acid is best judged after blending.
The soup thickens as it stands, so thin to a little looser than you want before serving, or add hot water 2 tablespoons at a time.
For extra-velvety texture, pass the blended soup through a medium sieve.

Make ahead

"The soup through step 7 can be made up to 4 days ahead. Cool, refrigerate, and reheat gently with a splash of water. Make the cumin oil fresh and add the yogurt at serving."

Storage & reheating

"Cool within 2 hours of cooking. Refrigerate plain soup (without yogurt or cumin oil) in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Don't leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Reheat on the stove over low heat, stirring often, adding water or broth ¼ cup (60 ml) at a time to loosen, as it thickens when chilled. Add yogurt and cumin oil after reheating."

Substitutions

dried yellow split lentils → red split lentils. Same amount, but they cook faster: start testing at 15 minutes and expect 15 to 20. The soup will be more orange and just as smooth. Carrots may need a few more minutes, so slice them slightly thinner.
plain whole-milk yogurt → unsweetened coconut or dairy-free yogurt. Makes the soup dairy-free and vegan with vegetable broth.
whole cumin seeds → ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or sweet paprika. Warm in the oil off the heat for 30 seconds for a red, mildly spicy drizzle.
vegetable or chicken broth → water plus 1 extra teaspoon salt. Gives a lighter, more lentil-forward flavor.