I make this all the time and my kids love it. The main change I've made is to slice up a lemon and add it to the pot from the start. I find that it perks up the soup a bit. If I have fresh thyme on hand, I add about a teaspoon.

Great recipe! Simple and hearty with lots of flavor - perfect for a fall or winter evening - only addition was carrots and celery - will definitely make again!

This is a very good basic recipe. I made it for a neighbor who is diabetic as well as undergoing radiation and chemo, as it is nutritious and not much in it that someone can object to. I added some celery salt and cut down on the cumin (about half) added a bay leaf, and did add salt and pepper to taste. I didn't have any carrots on hand or I would have put those in. Next time I probably would saute the onions and garlic so they didn't look so obvious in it. And I would probably make it in winter and not on an 85 degree summer day, like I did today. LOL

This was fantastic! I'd give it 6 stars if I could. I followed other reviewers' suggestions and doubled the garlic, sauteed the onions and garlic, added a little curry and 2 bay leaves, and used vegetable base and chicken bouillon instead of broth. This is going on my short list.

This soup was great and was a big hit for my picky eaters- they even came back for seconds! I doubled the garlic and used a can of spaghetti sauce instead of the tomato paste. I also added some shredded carrots for extra color and flavor. I served it with warm pita and a salad. This is an easy soup to play around with to fit to what you have on hand as well as to suit to your own taste. I'll be making this again!

Followed this recipe exactly. Thanks!

Love it! Thank you for this quick, easy, and delicious soup! I admit it - I hate to cook! If I can't make it in a half hour or less, I don't want to do it. :) I'm always looking for quick and simple recipes that are healthy as well. This is quick, easy, very filling and a good healthy protein source! I like to dress it up by adding a small dollop of sour cream and some shredded light cheddar cheese to the top of each bowl, then serve with a crusty roll!

Delicious, filling, and best of all: EASY! I love soups of all kinds, but I'm not necessarily a lentil kind of person....However, this really won me over! Definitely a keeper.

Yum! I made the following changes. I sauteed 1 tbsp garlic with the onion first, added half of a chicken breast, diced, until the chicken cooked. Then i added maybe 1/4 cup of white cooking wine and let that reduce a bit. I removed the chicken, put in the rest of the ingredients, cooked it according to the directions, and added the chicken at the end. I also added 1/2 tsp of curry powder, which I thought was a nice touch. Also, if you don't want your soup to be dull, rinse the lentils under lukewarm water till the water runs clear.

This is a wonderful recipe as is or with additions. We added diced tomato and increased the garlic to 3 cloves. We loved it!

We thought this was great! I don't like cooked carrots, so left them out and added celery, green pepper, onions and wasn't very careful about how much, I just dumped. Also used a can of diced tomatoes in place of the paste. Used boullion cubes & water rather than any prepared broth and it turned out wonderful. Even hubby who is not a big soup eater liked it. Easy and cheap with no meat to worry about. Very good! Thanks!

As previous reviewers suggested, I sauted the onion and some minced garlic before adding it to the soup. Next time I would add half the amount of lentils, mine came out more as a stew and less as a soup, I added a bit of water later on in the cooking in order to have some more broth. Very easy to make.

First time I've ever tried lentils . . . I loved this soup!!! I can't believe how easy it was too. Made it two days ago and have already shared the recipe with friends. I cooked up some breakfast sausage links and ate along side. Went well together.

This was just okay. The cumin makes the dish, but still, it was only 3 stars to my husband and me.

Cheap, easy, and healthy - now that's my idea of a good recipe :). I had never made lentil soup before, and I doctored this recipe to suit my tastes and it turned out really well. I followed some reviewer suggestions and sauteed the onion with twice the amount of minced garlic before adding it to the soup. I also added chopped fresh spinach and carrots and some curry powder. This is going to become one of my regular recipes. Thanks!!

Pretty good recipe, but some of the ingredients in this recipe make it more of a chili than a lentil stew. I adjusted it a little by leaving out the cumin and tomato paste, and substituting a dash of red wine vinegar and some maggi seasoning... delicious!