Need a lift? Here you go. This Lifting Lemon-Garlic Rice & Lentil Soup was our Sunday-night Easter dinner and it was amazing! Bright lemon tones mingle with perky garlic and plentiful spices including black pepper, turmeric and a hint of cayenne. Nutty brown rice creates body and texture as super swoon-worthy, peppery and firm-style Le Puy lentils add depth, protein and heartiness. Some nutritional yeast (optional) adds thickness and a cheezy savory flavor. You will love this lemon-y one-bowl meal! And yes you can pair this bowl with a side salad featuring roasted chili-maple beets and orange hummus, like we did, if you'd like. Spring soup is on..
Our Easter sunset stroll. Missing this..
Lemon Soup! How did I forget about lemon soup? It is one of my favorite flavors and I had not made it in a very long time! Lemon soup, for me, includes loads of fresh lemon flavor, plenty of fresh garlic and some flat-leaf parsley along with spices galore. Black pepper and some heat from cayenne. Think of this spicy lemon-y blend as the "Master Cleanse" version of soup! Ok, no, not really but the wellness inspired flavors are similar.
I also add in rice or another soft grain and then something nutty and hearty from the legume family. Beans are super but for today's soup I went with superfood lentils! Lentils are so incredibly healthy for veg-eaters.
I love this soup because the lightness and zing from the lemons really lightens up the heavy and hearty flavor from the grains and lentils. And loads of garlic always makes me happy.
You could even add in some soba noodles or additional veggies like onion, carrots, leeks, spinach and more...
I love these Le Puy French lentils that stay nice and firm in texture, even in soups!
Also served - this side of orange-hummus - like this recipe only using orange juice in place of lemon:
And some chili-maple roasted beets over greens - like this recipe:
Lifting Lemon-Garlic Rice & Lentil Soup
about 4 generous servings
lentils: ½ cup dry lentils* + 2 cups vegetable broth
*LePuy Lentils used, you may sub with any lentils or your favorite bean if desired
rice: 1 cup dry short-grain brown rice + 2 cups water + pinch of salt
soup base:
4-6 cups vegetable broth (depending on how brothy you'd like it)
4-5 small or 2-3 medium juicy lemons, juiced -- (about ½ cup lemon juice total)
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
½ - 1 teaspoon turmeric
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1-2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, optional
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
optional: 2-8 tablespoon nutritional yeast (to taste)
garnish: 4-6 thin lemon slices
Directions:
Two Ways: There are two ways to prepare this soup. The first way would be to pile everything in a large soup pot, bring to a boil and simmer on low until the lentils and rice are tender and you are ready to serve the soup. The second way is to prepare the lentils and rice separately ahead of time, them add the cooked rice and lentils along with the other ingredients to create a soup. This method is below..
1. Start off by pre-soaking your lentils for fastest cooking. Soak in warm salted water for about two hours before cooking. If you do not pre-soak you can still slow-simmer the lentils until tender, they will just take longer to cook. If soaked, drain lentils and add to a small soup pot along with two cups of veggie broth. Bring to a boil and them reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. If the lentils are not pre-soaked, the simmering time will be about 30-40 minutes.
Lentil notes: I really LOVED trying my new LePuy French Lentils in this soup. They stay nice and al dente even after cooking so they are not soggy at all. If you can find these style lentils give them a try, if not, regular lentils - any variety really - will work beautifully. Lentils are rich in protein, iron, vitamins and minerals so embrace them in your meals every chance you get!
2. For the rice, prepare it in a separate pot at the same time you are cooking the lentils. Bring 2 cups of water, plus a pinch of salt to a boil, add the brown rice, cover with lid and reduce to a simmer. Simmer on low for about 30 minutes or until tender and most of the liquid has absorbed. For soup, you do not need to worry about making rice fluffy or waiting for all the liquid to be absorbed, since it will be re-hydrated by the soup broth anyways.
3. When the rice and lentils are cooked, you can add them to a large soup pot along with the remaining soup ingredients: lemon juice and zest, garlic, bay leaf, spices, parsley and broth. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to serve. You can add the nutritional yeast now or just before serving each bowl. Remove bay leaf before serving. Adjust salt, pepper, turmeric and cayenne to taste if desired.
Serve soup warm with lemon slices as garnish in the soup.
Cynthia says
Just came back to this page to get a nutritional count. I absolutely love this soup and have made it countless times, and I can vouch for this also being the perfect soup for fall, winter or when you feel like you have allergies or a cold coming on. I love to meal plan to make this after French Lentils to save time. Thanks for this fresh and health-giving, seriously craveable classic soup!
babloo says
looks great! thanks for sharing this will surely try this out. cheers!
Kait Waters says
GO MAKE THIS SOUP! Easy, tasty, inexpensive, tasty, healthy, and TASTY!
cococon70 says
what are those white cubes in the soup? I don't see anything matching them in the ingredients
Kathy Patalsky says
that is my loads and loads of fresh garlic 🙂
cococon70 says
Great! Thanks! 🙂
Katharine in Brussels says
Hi Kathy, thanks for including this in your 2014 roundup because I found it that way. It's not spring yet here in Belgium but doesn't everyone love a winter dose of lemons? It's currently bubbling on my stove now and is utterly perfuming my kitchen! The wonderful thing about this recipe is its slow cooker potential to put in all ingredients at once and simmer away. So this weekend I'm going to freeze two uncooked batches for an easy lunch when #3 is born next month (or maybe in early March) and then "set it and forget it" in the slow cooker. It's a soup so great for naturally helping melt away the postpartum fluff, and great for keeping hydrated for breastfeeding. Nutritional yeast is one of the superfoods for helping with breastmilk production too. Thanks a lot!
Kathy Patalsky says
That is awesome! Happy to hear you love it! Happy soup eating.
Katharine in Brussels says
Thanks Kathy! My preschoolers are scarfing it down: a rousing success!
Sarah E. Porras says
I just have to tell you I LOVE THIS SOUP! It is my husband, and (1yr old) daughters favorite! Thank you for creating this! I have made it 3 times since discovering it a month ago, and am making it again tonight!
marlies says
LOVE LOVE LOVE this soup! I'm currently munching on leftover soup for lunch right now, thinking to myself how glad I am that you are such a creative chef! Such simple ingredients, so much flavor. 🙂 I replaced the garlic cloves with wild ramps which are in season in WI right now, super yum!
rubybleu says
What a delish soup! I used cumin instead of tumeric (didn't have any) and added some kale. Very very tasty and I will definitely be making it again!
Elaine DeBitetto says
Note to self: Don't open Kathy's blog an hour before lunch at work. I'm practically salivating on my keyboard. Hope the felines are good!
Kathy Patalsky says
🙂
Anne241 says
This sounds fantastic!!! Will definitely be trying very soon 🙂
I have always heard though that you shouldn't soak or cook lentils (or any other pulse) with salt, as it makes the skins tough, and they will take longer to cook or not soften properly at all. My puy lentil cooking time is considerably shorter than yours (around 25 minutes) even without soaking, which I never do with lentils - I wonder if the salt/broth is the reason? I always just cook my beans and lentils with herbs, and add salt to the dish only after they are fully cooked.
Kirsten N says
I've just found your site and I have already book marked 7 recipes that I want to try!! This one will be first, though it's warring with the rustic tomato rice stew! I was also wondering what were the larger whitish chunks in this soup? Potato perhaps?
Please keep posting your work!
The vegan 8 says
Hi Kathy! Just wanted to let you know I made this soup for dinner tonight and it was amazing. So simple, so lemony and fresh! I will be making it regularly. Thank you! 🙂
Melissa says
I had never tried lemon soup and was so intrigued I made it the day I read the post. Given my last minute decision and limited by the ingredients I had on hand, I substituted whole wheat orzo for the rice and chickpeas for the lentils. It was wonderful.
marlies says
This looks so delicious, and the photography (as usual) is stunning!! ! What are the larger chunks in the soup?
The vegan 8 says
Omg I'm totally making this!! I LOVE adding lemon juice to my soups and stews. In fact, I just did tonight to my potato soup, but having it as the main flavor sounds incredible. There is just something about the bright flavor that fresh lemon juice gives to a warm bowl of soup. Cannot wait to make it. I never got a chance to make your peanut butter caramel bars on Easter due to business with company, but it's still on my to do list, but this soup is totally happening this week because it's so easy!
Penny Sharp says
Hi kathy!!
Mmm lemony lusciousness. I think that even though this is a spring soup it would do just fine for a 'winter' lift. being a southern hemisphere gal ( Australia) it is mid autumn here. I wonder whether adding some fresh minced ginger would turn the zing factor up a notch?
Kelly says
This looks really good! I love French lentils, they are by far my favorite lentil! And all the lemon sounds lovely in this.
realfoodbydad says
This sounds so good right now and your photos...amazing.
John Hartil says
Looks delicious definitely one to try
Kate Marie says
This looks delicious! If I cook it the first way - throwing everything in one pot - would you add the same amount of vegetable broth and water as if you were cooking the lentils and rice separately?
RockMyVeganSocks says
I've never had lemon soup before! It sounds refreshing & delicious. Looks like you guys had a great Easter supper!
Lindsey Farr says
This soup looks delicious and equally nutritious! I'll have to look for those lentils at the store and try this this week! Love lemon in soup!