There's soup and then there's this - hearty, warming comfort in a bowl. This spiced lentil and chickpea soup is deeply savoury, properly filling and exactly the kind of meal that makes you feel good after a long day. Finish it off with a spoonful of Greek yogurt and a squeeze of lime and don't forget the bread on the side.
Table of Contents
Recipe snapshot
💬 What it is: A deeply spiced lentil and chickpea soup made with red lentils, warming spices and fresh lime.
❤️ Why you'll love it:
- Nourishing without feeling heavy
- Red lentils cook quickly and create a rich texture
- Easy pantry ingredients
- The lime and yogurt balance the spices beautifully
👨🍳 How to make it: Cook the aromatics and spices, simmer the lentils and chickpeas until soft, then finish with lime juice and herbs before serving.
The spices make this soup
This soup is less about heat and more about warmth. The spices wake everything up without overpowering the lentils and chickpeas. (You can always adjust them to suit your taste).
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Ingredient notes
How to make it - Quick overview
1. Build the flavour base: Cook onion, garlic, ginger and spices until fragrant.
2. Simmer the soup: Add lentils, chickpeas and stock, then simmer until the lentils soften.
3. Finish and serve: Add lime juice and herbs, then serve with Greek yogurt and warm flatbread.
Serving suggestions
Enjoy it with any of the following:
- Greek bread
- Chickpea flatbread
- Extra freshly chopped cilantro (yeah I know - I wen there!)
- Greek yogurt - of course!
Storage and freezing
- Store in an airtight container and heat over the stovetop or microwave if you prefer.
- Freeze in freezer safe container and allow to thaw before reheating.
- This soup thickens as it sits. Add a splash of water or stock when reheating.
📖 Recipe
Spiced Lentil and Chickpea Soup
Conversions
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground chilli , or red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 clove garlic , finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
- 1 cup red lentils
- 3 cups chicken stock, or vegetable stock
- 400 g chickpeas, (one can)
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked
- salt and pepper to taste
- Greek yogurt and chopped coriander to garnish
- a squeeze of lime or lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed saucepan and fry off the onions on medium heat. Add the ground spices and stir until they become aromatic.1 tablespoon sunflower oil, ½ red onion finely diced, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground chilli or red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- Add the garlic and ginger and stir again for a few minutes. Then add the red lentils and toss in the spice mixture for one more minute.1 clove garlic finely chopped, 1 tablespoon ginger grated, 1 cup red lentils
- Add the chicken or vegetable stock and cook on high heat till it comes to a rapid boil. Lower the temperature and let the ingredients simmer for about 10-15 mins-season to taste.3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- Remove from the heat and blend using a stab blender or do it manually using a regular blender. Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas and let it simmer for another 5 mins.400 g chickpeas (one can)
- Stir through the cooked quinoa and squeeze a little lime juice in the soup. Garnish with a dollop of thick Greek yogurt and chopped coriander.1 cup quinoa cooked, salt and pepper to taste, Greek yogurt and chopped coriander to garnish, a squeeze of lime or lemon juice
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Peter's Tips →
- Red lentils cook quickly and naturally thicken the soup as they break down. If the soup becomes too thick after sitting, simply loosen it with a splash of stock or water when reheating.
- This soup is designed to be warmly spiced rather than overly hot. Adjust the chilli to suit your taste.
- Fresh lime at the end is important - it lifts the earthy spices and balances the richness of the lentils and chickpeas.
- Greek yogurt is optional, but highly recommended. The cool creaminess works beautifully with the spices.
- This soup pairs especially well with warm flatbread or crusty bread for dipping.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Souvlaki For the Soul
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