Amazing Red Lentil Soup Recipe- GAPS Legal, Vegan

Lentil soup is one of those things that I've made many times, with so many different variations. Sometimes lentil soup can come out ok, and sometimes it can come across so amazing that you have a hard time resisting eating more and more of it. This recipe is one of those simply divine lentil soup recipes, turning this humble legume into something worthy of serving in a restaurant.
I based it off a recipe from the New York Times but played around with it to make it even cheaper, and it is no less amazing. I highly recommend this lentil soup recipe!
It is GAPS legal, and can easily be vegan. Additionally, it is super easy to make.

Amazing Red Lentil Soup Recipe- GAPS Legal, Vegan

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil (you can use a cheaper oil, but it will compromise the taste a drop)
2 onions
4 cloves garlic
8 cups broth- either chicken broth or vegetable broth (I use my scrap broth- either chicken or veggie scrap broth)
2 cups red lentils, ideally soaked overnight (makes it cook faster and more digestible)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons cumin
Salt to taste (it needs a lot if your broth isn't very salty)
3 carrots, chopped very small
Scant 1/4 cup lemon juice (2-3.5 tablespoons)
1/2 cup packed chopped parsley or cilantro
Hot paprika to taste

Instructions:
1. I suggest soaking your lentils overnight in water- it is more digestible and cooks faster- so put your lentils up to soak with twice as much water. Strain your lentils before cooking this recipe. You can skip the soaking of the lentils, but just add an extra 2 cups of water to the recipe when cooking it.

2. Chop your onions and garlic, and saute them in oil until starting to brown.

3. Add everything else other than the lemon juice and parsley/cilantro. If you don't have enough broth, feel free to stretch the amount of broth you have by adding more water and some extra salt- I think I used 6 cups of broth stretched to make 8. Don't stretch it too much or flavor will be compromised.

4. Boil the soup (covering it, so the water doesn't boil too much and make it too concentrated) until the lentils are fully cooked and the carrots are soft.

5. Use an immersion blender to partially blend up the soup, leaving it somewhat chunky. (If you don't have an immersion blender, you can skip this step. Alternatively, you can blend up the entire thing if your kids give you issues with actual pieces of lentils. My children asked me to blend this up fully next time I make it since it was yummy but they'd rather not feel the individual lentil pieces while eating it.)

6. Add the lemon juice and fresh parsley and cilantro. Add the lemon juice a bit at a time, until it is perfect for your taste buds. Adjust the salt to taste. If you don't have any fresh parsley or cilantro, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of dried parsley or cilantro, but note that the taste will be compromised a bit.

Enjoy!

If you're a fan of a good lentil soup, be sure to check out these other lentil soup recipes:
Curried Carrot and Red Lentil Soup
Herbed Lentil Veggie Soup- Italian Style

Are you a fan of lentils soup or lentils in general? Does this look like a recipe you'd try out?

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