Beef Lentil Soup

FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content.

Get ready for a culinary adventure with this tantalizing Beef Lentil Soup! Packed with succulent beef, nutrient-rich veggies, and hearty lentils, this soup is sure to satisfy your hunger and tantalize your taste buds. The seasoning is inspired by the bold flavors of Middle Eastern beef shawarma, with a blend of cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, and paprika.

Course Dinner, Soup

Cuisine Healthy, middle eastern

Keyword beef lentil soup, lentil soup with beef

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings -6 servings

Calories 448kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $12.10

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion (1 large)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2-3 cloves)
1 pound lean (93/7) ground beef
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons EACH ground cumin, coriander, and paprika
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Tiny pinch red pepper flakes, optional
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Fine sea salt & pepper
1-1/2 cups peeled and chopped carrots (3-4 carrots)
3/4 cup brown/green lentils (Note 1)
1 can (14 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 carton chicken broth/stock (4 cups)
Optional: 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley, 1 large lemon, mint yogurt sauce (Note 2)

US - Metric

Instructions

ONION: Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes or until they turn translucent.
BEEF: Press the onions to the side of the pot and add the ground beef to the center. Let it sear several minutes and then cook and break it apart with a wooden spoon. When it is mostly cooked through, add the seasonings, tomato paste, and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper (we add 1-1/4 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper). Sauté, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes or until the tomato paste begins to darken and everything smells deeply fragrant.
SIMMER: Next, add the carrots, rinsed lentils, crushed tomatoes, and broth to the pot. Stir and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, reduce the heat to medium low to simmer gently. Cover pot with a lid. The lentils should take 20-25 minutes to cook until they are soft, but older lentils may take 5-10 extra minutes. While the soup is simmering, you can prepare the yogurt sauce if you are using it (See Note 2).
FINISH: When the lentils are soft, remove the lid and stir. Add the juice of a lemon and finely chopped parsley, if using. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and spiciness (red pepper flakes) to taste. If you want more liquid, you can add a splash more broth.
ENJOY: To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and add a dollop of mint-yogurt sauce on top. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Note 1: Lentils: Use dried green or brown lentils for this soup. There is no need to soak the lentils before adding. This recipe, timing-wise and flavor-wise, relies on brown/green lentils so I don't recommend using a different type. Red/orange lentils are more processed, break down quicker and thicken the soup quite a bit. I do not recommend using French lentils; they won't cook correctly.

Note 2: Herbed yogurt sauce: This is an optional (but delicious!) topping for this soup. In a small bowl stir together the following: 1/2 cup full-fat, plain Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint or parsley, 1-1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1-1/2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon each: cumin, coriander, and fine sea salt. Stir and let sit in the fridge (to get more flavorful!) until ready to serve.

Nutrition