Red Lentil Soup with Saffron

• servings: 8 servings
• total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium carrots, finely diced

2 stalks celery, finely diced

1 large onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon crushed saffron threads

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

4 cups low-sodium no-chicken or chicken broth

1 ½ cups water, plus more as needed

1 pound red lentils (2 cups), picked over and rinsed

5 ounces spinach, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

Plain yogurt & chopped fresh mint for garnish

Directions

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery and onion and cook until starting to soften, 7 to 10 minutes. (Do not brown.) Stir in garlic, tomato paste, cumin, saffron and turmeric and cook for 1 minute.

Add broth, water, lentils, spinach, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Adjust heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook, stirring as needed to prevent sticking, until the lentils and vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add more water if desired.

Garnish with yogurt and mint, if desired.

Nutrition

• Calories: 280 kcal
• Total Fat: 7 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Sodium: 364 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 42 g
• Dietary Fiber: 8 g
• Total Sugars: 2 g
• Protein: 15 g