Lentil and chickpea soup with lemon

About this recipe

A creamy, hearty Mediterranean soup with a strong lemon tang. Red lentils dissolve completely as they cook and give the silky texture, while chickpeas bring volume and protein. Warm spices — cumin, coriander, turmeric and smoked paprika — build a rich base, and the whole lemons simmered in the soup transfer the aromatic oils from the peel directly into the liquid.

Made in a single pot, perfect for a quick dinner on cool days.

Ingredients

• 200 g red lentils, rinsed and soaked in warm water for at least 30 minutes
• 400 g tinned chickpeas, drained
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 3 celery stalks, chopped to roughly the same size as the onion and carrot
• olive oil (recommended, but any oil works: sunflower, seed) enough to cover the bottom of the pot in a thick layer, not just a film
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
• 1.5-2 L water or vegetable stock (adjust based on how thick you want the soup)
• 2 large organic or unwaxed lemons (essential because we use the zest)
• 3 bay leaves
• 200 g fresh spinach leaves
• salt (~1 tbsp per 1.5-2 L final volume, or 3-4 tbsp for a full 6 L pot — adjusted at the end)
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To serve

• fresh chopped parsley or coriander
• Greek yoghurt — original or vegan: soy yoghurt (optional)
• a drizzle of olive oil

Method

1. Sauté the onion (5 min)

Pour oil into a large pot, enough to cover the bottom in a thick layer (not just a film). Add the chopped onion and sauté on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent.

2. Add carrot and celery (5-7 min)

Add the diced carrot and celery. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until they start to catch lightly on the bottom of the pot (slight caramelisation adds depth of flavour).

3. Add garlic and spices (1-2 min)

Add the crushed garlic, cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika, chilli flakes (if using) and bay leaves. Stir continuously for 60-90 seconds — the spices should become aromatic but not burn.

4. Simmer the lentils with the vegetables (25-30 min)

Pour in the water or vegetable stock (1.5-2 L, depending on how thick you want the soup) and add the drained red lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover partially and simmer for 25-30 minutes.

5. Prepare the lemons (5 min)

Wash the lemons well and grate the zest with a fine grater into a small bowl, avoiding the white pith (which is bitter). Set the zest aside — you'll add it at the end.

Cut the 2 lemons in half and check for seeds (remove them with the tip of a knife if you find any). Seeds turn bitter if they simmer too long in the soup.

6. Add chickpeas, spinach and lemons (20 min)

Add the drained chickpeas, spinach and lemon halves (without zest) to the pot. Simmer for another 20 minutes on low heat.

7. Remove the lemons and bay leaves

Remove the lemon halves and bay leaves with tongs. Squeeze the remaining juice from the cooked halves directly into the soup (it's much sweeter and more aromatic than raw lemon juice). Discard the empty rinds and bay leaves.

8. Blend the soup (optional)

This step is optional — it depends on the texture you want. You have several options:

• Leave it as is — whole chickpeas, spinach and vegetable pieces remain visible, more rustic
• A few quick pulses with the immersion blender — partially blended, keeps some texture
• Blend part separately — ladle half the soup into another container, blend until smooth, then add it back to the unblended portion
• Blend the whole pot — for a uniform smooth cream

If the soup is too thick after blending, add hot water a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

9. Finish with lemon zest, salt and pepper

Add the reserved grated zest to the soup. Now add the salt (~1 tbsp per 1.5-2 L final volume, or 3-4 tbsp for a full 6 L pot) and black pepper. Taste and adjust: if the soup tastes flat, add more fresh lemon juice or grated zest; if you like it saltier, add salt a quarter teaspoon at a time. The acidity is the key to the recipe.

10. Serve

Ladle into bowls. Top with fresh chopped parsley or coriander, a drizzle of olive oil and, optionally, a spoonful of yoghurt.

Notes & Tips

Why organic or unwaxed lemons

We use the zest in the soup, and conventionally treated lemons have pesticides and wax applied to the skin. Organic or unwaxed are essential here. If you can't find them, scrub the lemons well with a brush under warm water and rinse thoroughly.

Why simmer whole lemons

Simmering lemon halves directly in the soup transfers the aromatic oils from the peel into the liquid, and the pulp softens and the acidity becomes milder, rounder, less aggressive than raw juice. The grated zest added at the end brings a burst of freshness.

The acidity — key to the recipe

The lemon isn't just for flavour — it's the element that balances everything. Lentils and chickpeas are dense and "earthy" and need acidity to lift them. If the soup tastes flat after blending, squeeze in another half lemon or add zest. Better too tangy than flat.

Salt — add it at the end

Salting at the end, after the lentils and chickpeas are completely cooked, lets you dose more precisely. Lentils boiled with salt become tougher; better at the end. Reference quantity: ~1 tbsp salt per 1.5-2 L final volume, or about 3-4 tbsp for a full 6 L pot. Adjust to taste.

Smoked paprika — quality matters

Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón de la Vera) is far superior to regular paprika. It gives a subtle smoky note that mimics the aroma of a wood fire.

Soaking the lentils

Soaking red lentils in warm water for 30 minutes before cooking reduces cooking time by 5-10 minutes and helps digestion (reduces some of the phytates). Not mandatory, but an improvement.