This red lentil soup is loaded with the flavors of the Mediterranean. The spinach and zucchini are cooked until tender then pureed until smooth. If you’re looking to get more vegetables into your family’s diet, soups are a great way to do it. This soup is ready in under an hour which makes it perfect for those busy weeknights.
Red lentils are a pantry staple in my house. They’re loaded with nutrients and very mild in flavor. They take 25-30 minutes to cook so when I’m low on time and have to get dinner on the table, I always make this soup. Serve it over rice or with some toasted bread to soak up the goodness.
If this batch is too much for you, allow it to come to room temperature then, transfer the soup to freezer-safe containers. It stays fresh in the freezer for 2 months. What could be better?
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Mediterranean Red Lentil and Zucchini Soup
This red lentil soup is loaded with the flavors of the Mediterranean. The spinach and zucchini are cooked until tender then pureed until smooth. If you’re looking to get more vegetables into your family’s diet, soups are a great way to do it. This soup is ready in under an hour which makes it perfect for those busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves, grated
- 3 zucchinis, diced
- 8 ounces spinach leaves, roughly chopped
- 15 ounces canned tomatoes, pureed
- 2 cups (400 grams) red lentils, soaked in cold water
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 bay leaf
Garnish:
- • Yogurt or sour cream
- • Sliced scallions or chives
- • Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Cook the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until soft and golden. About 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and warm through for 30 seconds.
- Add the diced zucchini and the spinach. Season with salt.
- Cook until tender. About 10 minutes.
- Transfer the vegetables to a blender along with 1 cup of water. Puree until smooth and pour back into the pot. Make sure that the pot is off of the heat so that the puree doesn’t splatter.
- Drain the lentils and add them to the pot along with the pureed tomatoes, the bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cover with water or vegetable broth.
- Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low.
- Cook the soup stirring often, until the lentils start to break down. About 25-30 minutes. Add more liquid if needed.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve with a dollop of yogurt, sliced scallions, and lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Could I use my frozen garden duke? I shred it and freeze in 2 c bags. When defrosted I have nearly a 1/2 c of liquid and probably not much more than 1/2-1 c of shredded zuke. I do know that when my zucchini breads calls for 2 cups of shredded fresh zucchini I put one of my frozen packages with a liquid and the breads turn out fine.
Hi Lonnie! Yes, you absolutely can add your frozen shredded zucchini.It will work just fine. Enjoy!
Zuke NOT duke…. and with THE LIQUID not A LIQUID
As a substitute for canned tomatoes, can we use garden variety tomatoes plus some tomato paste to thicken it up, give it some added depth?
Yes, you can use fresh tomatoes.
The recipe does not mention how much broth to use.
Huge hit! My family members are zucchini lovers so I experimented and didn’t purée the veggies prior to adding the lentils and it really worked! The end result was a great texture of lentils and veggie chunks.
I have been looking for a good hearty Mediterranean style lentil soup and this was perfect!
And I really rely on your videos but FYI the one for this recipe was not linked to the above article – found it on YouTube no problem! Thanks!
Vegetarian delight . Excellent.