Lentil Soup with Spinach and Lemon

Why This Lentil Soup with Spinach and Lemon Works

As the onion cooks in the olive oil, it softens and loses its sharp bite. The garlic and spices warm up in that hot oil and spread through it, so the cumin, coriander, and chili flakes end up coating everything in the pot. By the time the lentils go in, they are surrounded by seasoned oil, not just plain broth.

Once the broth is added and the pot starts to simmer, the lentils slowly soak up the liquid. Over those 25 minutes, they swell, soften, and some of their starch leaks into the broth. That starch slightly thickens the soup so it doesn’t feel watery, and the lentils turn tender but still hold their shape.

Near the end, the spinach only needs a short time in the hot soup to wilt down and turn silky. Right after that, the lemon juice goes in. Adding it at the end keeps the taste bright and also cuts through the thicker, starchy broth, so the soup feels fresh instead of heavy.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the lentils simmer for too short a time leaves them firm in the center while the broth stays thin and brothy. The soup ends up with hard little bites of lentil that don’t blend into the liquid, so it never gets that slightly thick, cozy texture.

Cranking the heat too high after adding the lentils and broth can cause the bottom to catch and burn while the top still looks fine. Burnt bits stick to the pot and spread a bitter, smoky taste through the whole batch, even if only a small area scorches.

Adding the spinach too early, while the lentils are still cooking, makes the leaves cook to death. The spinach turns dark and stringy, almost melting away, and the soup looks dull and murky instead of having soft, bright green leaves.

Pouring in all the lemon juice while the soup is still boiling can make the broth taste sharp and flat at the same time. The heat drives off the fresh citrus smell, and the sourness can feel harsh because it doesn’t have a chance to blend in gently at the end.