🕒 Prep: 10 min | Cook: 25–30 min

🍲 Serves: 4–6

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🥕 Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups chopped kale (stems removed)
• Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/3 cup)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Optional (for extra creaminess)

• 1/2 cup coconut milk or 1/2 cup cashew cream
• 1 tbsp tahini

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🔪 Instructions

1️⃣ Sauté Veggies

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add onion, carrots, and celery.
3. Cook 5–7 minutes until softened.
4. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds.

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2️⃣ Add Spices

Stir in cumin, turmeric, smoked paprika, and oregano.
Cook 1 minute until fragrant.

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3️⃣ Add Lentils & Broth

Add rinsed lentils and vegetable broth.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20–25 minutes, until lentils are soft.

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4️⃣ Add Kale

Stir in chopped kale and cook 5 minutes until wilted.

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5️⃣ Blend (Optional)

For a creamier texture, blend 1/2 of the soup with an immersion blender or regular blender, then return to pot.

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6️⃣ Add Lemon

Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice + zest.
Season with salt & pepper to taste.

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7️⃣ Serve

Serve hot with:

• crusty bread (optional)
• extra lemon wedges
• fresh parsley or cilantro

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🌿 Optional Garnishes

• fresh parsley
• chili flakes
• a drizzle of olive oil
• toasted pine nuts

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🥣 Meal Prep & Storage

• Keeps 4–5 days in the fridge
• Freezes well for 3 months