Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups chopped onions (roughly 2 medium sized onions)
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 3/4 cups uncooked lentils, rinsed and drained
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 4 tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 3 cups chopped cauliflower (about 1/2 medium)
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Thick plain yogurt (like Greek yogurt), and chopped fresh mint, to serve
Directions:
- In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and carrots, and sauté with a pinch of salt until the onions have started to caramelize and the carrots soften, about 8 minutes.
- Add the ground spices to the pot, stirring for a minute to toast the spices. Add the lentils, and stir to make sure they are well coated.
- Add the vegetable broth, water, tomatoes, chickpeas, and cauliflower, and bring everything up to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the cauliflower is tender and the lentils are fully cooked.
- Using a hand blender or a regular blender, puree the soup until almost smooth, leaving some texture. You can also skip this step altogether and serve the soup as is.
- Stir in the lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, top with a small spoonful of the yogurt, and a sprinkling of chopped fresh mint.