Hearty and healthy easy vegan Vitamix Mediterranean lentil soup that will keep you comfy and cozy all winter long. This easy vegan Vitamix Mediterranean lentil soup is always my go-to dish when I have a busy day or when it is cold outside. There is something about this soup with lentils that makes you want more and more. Perhaps it is minty, sweet oniony, and some acidity from the lemon taste and Mediterranean spices and flavor. The best part, you only need a handful of ingredients to make this delicious lentil soup. This recipe is vegan and gluten-free friendly, so it's the perfect soup for everyone.
This easy vegan Vitamix Mediterranean lentil soup recipe not only tastes good, but it is also great for your body. Lentil is high in protein, fiber, calcium, iron, and potassium. Read below to learn how you can make this feel good and good for you soup.
easy vegan Vitamix Mediterranean lentil soup
Prep Time 5 Minutes
Cook Time 45 Minutes
Serving Size 4
Ingredients
2 Cups of Dry Lentil ( I used a combo of both red and green)
6 Cups of Water Or Vegetable Stock
10-15 Fresh Mint Leaves Or 3/4 teaspoon dried mint flakes
2 Whole Bay Leaf
1 Whole Fresh Lemon
1 Whole Fresh Onion
1 Teaspoon Himalayan Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 Teaspoon Sumac
1/3 Teaspoon Ground Paprika
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Optional
Instructions
1. Soak your dry lentil. I usually let it soak for at least two hours.
2. In a cooking pot or Instant Pot, pour in your water, soaked lentil, and bay leaf. If you are cooking it on the stove, cook according to directions. You should be cooking for about 30-45 minutes or until they are tender.
3. Let your lentil cool for 15 minutes. Optional step.
4. Throw in your cooked lentil and the remaining ingredients into your Vitamix (Except lemon and olive oil). You want to make sure you don't put too much or too little liquid. If there is not enough liquid, it will become a paste.
5. Blend on low to medium setting for about 20 seconds. You want to make sure everything is chop and blend in. Once the soup is done, I recommend that you taste it and adjust the taste accordingly.
6. Once you pour your soup in a bowl, squeeze some lemon juice and drizzle some olive oil on top. Sprinkle additional optional paprika.
Tips
How long to soak your lentil?
Since lentil is quite small in size, you can soak your lentil for about 2-4 hours. You can also soak overnight if you know you will be cooking lentil the next day.
Why Do You Need To Soak Lentil?
You are not required to soak lentil. Many lentil packaging does not mention anything about needing to pre-soak the lentil before use. I like to soak my lentil before cooking because the lentil's outer shell contains anti-nutrients that can interfere with digestion. By soaking the lentil, it neutralizes the anti-nutrients.
Which type of lentil to use to make soup?
You can use various lentils to make this recipe – brown, green, red, or yellow. Each type has a slightly different taste. For example, green lentil is slightly peppery. Yellow lentil is sweet and nutty. When it comes to making soups, red lentils are the most popular type because of its soft texture.
To Blend or Not To Blend
For this recipe, you don't have to blend all the ingredients together. You can finely chop your onion and mint leaves and throw into your cooked lentil along with spices. I like blending my recipe because it breaks down the ingredients and gives you a burst of flavors. You can use a hand held immersion blender, or Vitamix. This is the one that I have and you can buy it for under $300.
What To Pair The Dish With
Traditionally, Mediterranean lentil soup is served with pita bread. You can certainly eat it with other types of bread. Create the perfect bite with extra sliced onion, a scoop of your soup, and pita bread.
