Delicious Red Lentil soup with lemon and tomatoes is one of my favorite soups to cook. The red lentils are so delicious with the chopped tomatoes, homemade chicken broth and a squeeze of bright lemon juice adds so much flavor to the soup! It's filling and warming enough for the colder weather months but so delicious and light for the warmer months as well!
In a medium-sized pot, start by satueing the diced onions in a few tablespoons of olive oil, until they are soft. Next, add the celery and carrots- cook until they are soft as well.
Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and dried oregano. Cook for 30 seconds - to 1 minute to cook the garlic and lightly toast the spices.
Next, add the can of tomato sauce. Cook covered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to cook out the bitter taste of canned tomato sauce. Then add the chicken broth and bay leaf. Cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
Rinse the red lentils. Red lentils are really starchy and the water won't run clear while you are rinsing them, so just give them a good rinse then add them to the pot with the chopped tomatoes.
Cook the lentils until they are soft, 20 - 25 minutes. If the soup is a little too thick add ½ cup - 1 cup of water.
Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste then stir in the lemon juice. Serve with cornbread and enjoy!
Notes
Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week.
All nutrition information is automatically generated and should be only used as a rough estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links.