Lentil Soup Recipes

Harira is our favorite Moroccan soup, but we rarely have the hours it takes to simmer the lamb that's traditionally a part of it. With some trepidation, we developed this vegetarian version--and it knocked our socks off. Top each serving with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of chopped dates for a real Moroccan feel.

Chang revamps standard lentil soup with mild miso, which adds depth and complexity. He tops each bowl with crispy fried celery root and a warm sabayon-style sauce that's rich with egg yolks and smoky bacon.

Red lentils make a hearty addition to this surprisingly tangy and fragrant Asian-style coconut soup.

As they cook, the lentils and linguine slurp up much of the vegetable-flavored broth, leaving a thick and hearty soup. Of course, if the soup is too thick for your taste, just stir in a little extra water.

Since the cauliflower only cooks in the soup for a short period of time, the vegetable doesn't develop that overwhelming flavor often associated with it. The flavor of bacon, though, comes through loud and clear.

The inspiration for chef Tom Fundaro's garlicky lentil soup is the traditional cotechino pork sausage from the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, where it's cooked slowly until moist and almost sticky, then served over creamy lentils. Fundaro's recipe skews pan-European, with French lentils, Manchego cheese and any really good garlic sausage.

Cook the broccoli rabe in a separate pan, not in the soup pot. That way, any excess bitterness from the vegetable goes down the drain with the cooking water rather than into the soup. You'll find, though, that a bit of bite enlivens the lentils.

This hearty soup, with its lentils and sausage, seems made for savory. For a special version, use imported Vertes du Puy lentils, which have a rich, earthy flavor. A firm whole-grain bread would be ideal alongside.

A friend's mother brought this recipe to Santa Barbara, where Lydie Marshall and her family lived after emigrating from Germany. Lydie's friend, Inge Wilkinson, substituted olive oil and red bell peppers for the lard and for some of the potatoes.

SoupCycle in Portland, Oregon, offers soups with wacky names ranging from Flemish Farm (a vegan take on French onion soup) to Who Framed Ginger Rabbit (carrot soup with ginger). Owners Jed Lazar and Shauna Lambert call this lentil soup Pot of For Goodness Sake! because the ingredients are so healthy.

In this soup, fresh turmeric pairs up with cinnamon, cumin, and coriander to spice up red lentils and wilted Swiss chard. It's power-packed full of flavor and warmth and also subtlety sweet. To serve, add a dollop of yogurt for a bright, creamy, and cooling topping.