Greek Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

Red lentils are my absolute favourite lentil to cook with. They have the shortest cooking time (12 minutes!) and once cooked, they break apart, forming a thick delicious soup. This recipe for Greek Red Lentil Soup with Lemon is adapted from two of my favourite cookbooks – Rebar from Victoria, and Whitewater Cooks from Nelson.

Nutrition

Lentils and Protein

Lentils are an important source of protein in the plant-based world, and while they are not a ‘complete’ protein, a healthy balanced diet can ensure that all the essential amino acids are available. Lentils and other legumes are also inexpensive sources of protein that have a minimal environmental impact. Legumes have the ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, which allows plant nutrients to be recycled and decreases our dependence on synthetic fertilizers.

Iron and Zinc

The legume family is one of the best plant-based sources of iron. When plant-based iron sources (non-haem iron) is combined with a good amount of Vitamin C, the absorption of iron is increased. Another reason to add lemon to your red lentil soup!

They are also a great source of the mineral zinc. Just like iron and other minerals, zinc in lentils can be poorly absorbed when a food is high in a compound called phytic acid. See below for methods that can improve the availability of these important minerals.

Tips

Pre-Soaking Lentils

While this will not change the taste or cooking time, soaking your lentils for at least 6 hours is a good idea to help remove the compound phytic acid. Phytates are naturally found in lentils and other legumes and can bind to the minerals making them less absorbable. This is mostly important for those who are low in iron, who have a weakened immune system (and need more zinc!), or are following a plant-based diet.

Add The Lemon At The End

The vitamin C in the lemon is important to help with the absorption of the non-haem iron in the lentils. Vitamin C is extremely sensitive to heat, so it is best to add the lemon once the soup has already finished cooking and the heat has been turned off.

Variations

A Turkish Red Lentil Soup

Turkish lentil soup is tangier! To make, omit the feta cheese and rosemary, and don’t hold back on the lemon!

A Lebanese Red Lentil Soup

To make a Lebanese red lentil soup, omit the feta and rosemary. Add 1 tsp of cumin at the same time as the garlic. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.

A South Asian Red Lentil Soup

Omit the feta, rosemary and lemon and add 1 tbsp curry powder at the same time as the garlic (option to add additional 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder). Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.