Pregnancy · Lunch

Lentil, Spinach & Lemon Soup

Name: Lentil, Spinach & Lemon Soup
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 2 carrots, diced; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 tsp ground cumin; 200 g red lentils, rinsed; 1.2 l vegetable stock; 150 g baby spinach; 1 lemon, juiced; a pinch of chili flakes (optional)

A bright red-lentil soup finished with lemon and a tangle of spinach - the iron-first lunch this whole collection is built around.

A soft, golden soup that asks very little: one pot, pantry staples, a handful of spinach wilted in at the end. It suits any trimester - mild enough for uneasy stomachs, warming on tired days, and built on the lentils and leafy greens that help carry folate through pregnancy.

Lentil, Spinach & Lemon Soup - A bright red-lentil soup finished with lemon and a tangle of spinach

Easy

Vegan IronFolateFiberAntioxidants

Ingredients

for 2 people

2 tbspolive oil
1onion, chopped
2carrots, diced
2garlic cloves, chopped
1 tspground cumin
200 gred lentils, rinsed
1.2 lvegetable stock
150 gbaby spinach
1lemon, juiced
a pinch ofchili flakes (optional)

Open this recipe in the interactive app to scale servings, switch to oz and cups, and tick ingredients off as you cook.

Per serving (approx.): 390 calories · 18 g protein · 52 g carbs · 12 g fat · 11 g fiber

Method

Base. Warm the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is translucent and the carrots have lost their squeak.
Spices. Stir in the garlic and cumin and cook for 1 minute, until the cumin smells toasty. Keep stirring here - ground spices catch fast on a hot pan base and turn bitter within seconds.
Simmer. Add the rinsed red lentils and stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, half-covered, for about 20 minutes, until the red lentils have broken down and the soup has thickened.
Greens. Add the spinach a handful at a time and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until every leaf has wilted and turned dark green. Add the chili flakes now if you are using them.
Lemon. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Add it in stages and taste as you go - it should taste bright and lifted, not sour. Serve right away.

Worth knowingLentils and spinach both carry non-heme iron, and the lemon's vitamin C can multiply its absorption - this soup is the strategy in a bowl.

Is this safe during pregnancy?

Yes - everything here is plant-based and fully cooked, and nothing appears on the NHS list of foods to avoid; just wash the spinach well. One pairing note: the tannins in tea and coffee get in the way of the iron this soup is built around, so keep them away from the meal itself - and if coffee is part of your day, pregnancy guidance caps caffeine at 200 mg a day.

Substitutions & allergens

Chard or kale can replace the spinach - add them a few minutes earlier so they soften.
No fresh lemon? Bottled lemon or lime juice keeps the acidity, and the acidity is doing the vitamin C work next to the iron, so do not skip it altogether.
Green or brown lentils work but hold their shape - simmer longer and expect a chunkier soup.
Leave out the chili flakes on queasy days; the cumin carries the flavor fine.

Storage & reheating

Cool the soup and refrigerate within 1-2 hours; eat leftovers within 48 hours, reheated once until steaming hot throughout, per FSA chilling guidance. It freezes well - portion it into bags on the day of cooking, defrost in the fridge rather than on the counter, and use within 24 hours of defrosting.

Checked against the public guidance we follow - see our sources & editorial standards.