Beef Lentil Soup is packed with tender beef, veggies, and hearty lentils. The seasoning is inspired by the bold flavors of Middle Eastern beef shawarma, with a blend of cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, and paprika.
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 1¼ tsp salt and 1½ 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!
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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.