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Healing Golden Lemon Lentil Soup

Healing golden lemon lentil soup made with a turmeric-ginger spice base and simmered red lentils for a creamy-chunky texture. Topped with crispy roasted chickpeas seasoned with smoked paprika for a crunchy, protein-boosted finish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup base
  • 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
  • 4 cup vegetable broth
  • 2 lemons Use juice of 2 lemons.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil Use part for sautéing and part for chickpeas.
  • Salt to taste
Crispy chickpea garnish
  • 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika For roasting chickpeas (in addition to the soup’s smoked paprika).
  • 1 tsp olive oil Toss chickpeas with olive oil before roasting.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Roast the chickpeas
  1. Heat the oven to 425°F and drain the chickpeas, then toss them with olive oil and smoked paprika until evenly coated, making sure they’re spread out for crisping.
  2. Roast the chickpeas on a sheet pan for 25 minutes at 425°F, stirring once halfway through, until visibly crisp and golden around the edges.
Build the golden lentil soup
  1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat, then sauté the diced onion for 5 minutes until softened and lightly translucent.
  2. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, then stir in turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika, and black pepper and cook for 1 minute to bloom the spices.
  3. Add the rinsed red lentils and vegetable broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the lentils are tender.
  4. Stir in coconut milk and the juice of 2 lemons, then season with salt to taste and simmer for 5 more minutes to warm through.
  5. Blend partially for a creamy-chunky texture, leaving some lentils intact so the soup stays thick and spoonable.
Serve
  1. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the roasted crispy chickpeas so you get a crunchy contrast with the creamy broth.
  2. Serve with a lemon wedge alongside each bowl to brighten the flavors right before eating.

Notes

Roasting the chickpeas on a hot sheet pan is the key to keeping them crisp after they hit the soup—don’t toss them in advance. Store soup in the refrigerator up to 4 days; rewarm gently, then add freshly crisped chickpeas to each serving. Freeze soup (up to 2 months) and thaw in the fridge, but garnish with crisp chickpeas after reheating for best texture. If you want it dairy-free and creamy without coconut, swap coconut milk for unsweetened cashew cream or a thick unsweetened oat cream.