My favorite recipe that I've ever posted on the blog is my Four Corners lentil soup, and it remains the most frequently cooked dish in my kitchen. It is so fast and simple to make, really inexpensive, and uses ingredients that are all found in the pantry. It freezes well, too, so I often make a double batch and store some away for when I need a wholesome meal in a hurry. And why the name "Four Corners"? Besides being my favorite soup, it is also much loved by many people I know all around the world. From the busy streets of Singapore to the remote wilderness of northern Ontario, from the scorched deserts in the American Southwest to the rainy shores of Denmark, this soup really has traveled the four corners of the Earth! Highly nutritious and packed with flavor, this lentil soup is a crowd-pleaser that will warm the heart of anyone you serve it to.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Step 1
1. Heat the oil in a medium pot, add the onions, garlic, and ginger, and sauté for 5 minutes, until soft. Add a pinch of salt, the cumin, and the cayenne, and stir for another minute or so, until fragrant.
Step 2
2. Add the tomatoes, 3 slices of lemon, and the lentils. Then add the vegetable broth and stir well. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Add a squirt of maple syrup to balance the flavor, if desired.
Step 3
3. Serve hot, garnished with the cilantro, spring onions, or parsley, and topped with a slice of lemon.
Leave a Review
Reviews (27)
Back to TopFabulous recipe. I will make this often. Personally I didn't need to add maple syrup. Love the name of the recipe, and it seems appropriate as I've been trying to replicate a soup made by my friend from Nagaland, India. This came close. I decided to use a hand blender at the end, but it tasted great regardless.
stylingstella
Mpls
1/17/2021
This was quite good. I did need to add a bit of vegetable bouillon to up the flavour but it was simple and healthy. I don’t know why Epicurious has taken away the nutritional information on the recipes but the whole pot came to about 600 calories.
n_crutcher6157
Canada
8/27/2020
So tasty, really like this recipe!
maginmr
5/13/2020
This is one of my standards now. I make it at least once per month and everyone loves it.
Anonymous
11/11/2018
i see now that this soup can be made with just stuff you have in the pantry because i was going to say that i did miss having some vegetables: sweet potato, chard, carrots, whatever. But it's good. I do suggest getting an immersion blender and blitzing it, otherwise it's watery.
binkbonk
berlin, germany
4/18/2018
LOVE this soup. It is truly very simple to make and has amazing flavor.
staciejayne
12/11/2017
I've been using epicurious to find new recipes for years and I've never felt the need to comment until now. This recipe is GOOD. I used leeks and chicken stock (what I had on hand). I also blended half of the soup to provide a slightly thicker consistency. I can't get enough of it! I served the soup with a robust red wine and crusty bread and felt totally satisfied. This recipe makes a lot of soup so be prepared for plenty of delicious leftovers!
jenny.kingsley1586
Seattle, WA
11/2/2017
I would not make this soup again . The flavor profile was all over the place . I can see it being created or great for someone with a cold who cannot taste it . It’s was Too tangy/ sour and garlicy, the tomatoes are somewhat acidic already , there’s leeks in the recipie so to add 5 cloves of garlic was way too much along with the ginger just left me with this sour bitter weird flavor sensation . To add honey in the soup is an amateur move it’s like adding onion to burnt rice to take away the smell . It’s a far reach to try and round out the flavors to this recipie. Of course this is just my opinion and my palette, everyone else seems to love it.
sidney69
Toronto
10/14/2017
Excellent. Used leeks and chicken broth.
barbican
Dallas
9/27/2017
Simple & delicious. I make it as written.
rubyclaire1
NYC
7/18/2017
This was surprisingly good! I subbed chicken broth bc I had to use some up, and instead of garnishing with chopped cilantro (since I find bits of leaves floating in soup a little unappealing) I made the cilantro oil from the Curried Squash and Red Lentil Soup recipe on this site. I used an immersion blender to partially puree the soup. The amount of spice and heat was just right for me, though I'm sure others would enjoy more heat. Will definitely add this to the winter rotation!
elsaandem
New York
2/17/2017
I was VERY skeptical of this recipe and never would have tried if my friend who has amazing taste didn't recommend it to me. I messed up the recipe a bit (forgot to add the spices until the very END, UGH) but it still tasted AMAZING. I used regular lentils because I like the texture better, and I also used another's suggestion of adding a dash of cinnamon. It really made it so so so so delicious. My favorite way to eat it is on rice with some chicken. But not just any rice, it has to be NASHIKI Rice. Pretty easy to make, just takes some time to chop everything. If you use regular lentils like I did, instead of the red ones, you will want to soak them, or prepare to simmer for a LOOOOONG time to soften them up. I also used 6 fresh tomatoes instead of canned, and I squeezed the rest of the lemon into the soup at the very end. Freezes really well, and re-heats in the microwave wonderfully.
thebazile
Reno, Nevada
2/4/2017
I finally got around to making this soup. It's been on my list for a while. I made it exactly as stated but it seemed to really be missing something. Normally to a lentil soup I would add curry but with the honey I thought, cinnamon! That was the ticket. I will make it again with the addition of cinnamon.
jfain
columbus, OH
12/21/2016
Great soup, even better next day. I had some corn that I added to it the next day and that added the perfect amount of sweetness to balance it out.
Anonymous
Houston, TX (but living in Salzburg, Austria now)
10/19/2016
It was so simple I was sceptical when I made it, but, the best recipes are usually simple! Fantastic soup, very hearty followed the recipe to the letter except went with the recommendations for two tablespoons of maple syrup. Can't wait to serve it up on a nice cold day with some nice crusty bread.
tb03
Massachusetts
10/18/2016
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