3 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced

  • heat oil in a large pot and sauté onion and garlic until golden, about 4 minutes

1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. chipotle powder

  • add to pot and sauté 2 minutes

1 quart broth
1 cup red or yellow lentils
2 cups water

  • add broth and lentils to pot, bring to a simmer, then loosely cover and simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes, adding water as needed to maintain desired consistency
  • remove half the soup to a blender and purée until smooth, then return to the pot

juice form 1/2 lemon or 1 lime
3 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped (or 2 tsp. dry)

  • stir into soup and serve drizzled with olive oil and dusted with chili powder, if desired

source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016062-red-lentil-soup

05/03/2026: i made this a few days ago with yellow lentils, and it was fantastic. the original recipe wanted you to add the whole two cups of water, but i wound up adding only about 1 cup which made for a slightly thicker soup like we wanted.