Spanish Lentil Soup with Shrimp
Crispy pan-fried shrimp dropped onto a smoky paprika broth loaded with potato and lentil chunks. The shrimp get seared first, then the entire soup builds in the same pan with fresh tomatoes, celery, and a bouillon cube. 25g of protein and 9g of fiber from 401 kcal, ready in 15 minutes.
Crispy pan-fried shrimp dropped onto a smoky paprika broth loaded with potato and lentil chunks. The shrimp get seared first, then the entire soup builds in the same pan with fresh tomatoes, celery, and a bouillon cube. 25g of protein and 9g of fiber from 401 kcal, ready in 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- shrimp (frozen) 3 ounces
- onion 0.25
- lentils, canned 0.5 cup
- tomatoes 2
- celery 1 stalk
- potato 0.25 pound
- olive oil 1 tablespoon
- paprika (ground spice) 2 teaspoons
- vegetable bouillon 1 cube
- water 2 cups
Method
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Allow the shrimp to come to room temperature.
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Chop the onion. Drain the lentils in a sieve. Cut the tomatoes into cubes and the celery into half rings. Peel the potato and cut it into small cubes.
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Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the shrimp until crispy. Remove the shrimp from the pan and sauté the onion in the remaining oil for 2 minutes.
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Add the tomatoes, celery, potato, paprika, bouillon cube, and water. Cook the soup for 10 minutes. Add the lentils and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the shrimp. Season the soup with salt and black pepper.
When the lentils hit the potato in this soup, they slow how fast the starch gets digested. Research found that pairing lentils with potato cut the blood sugar spike after the meal by 34%, and that effect was specific to potato, not rice.
Behind this recipe
Is 25g of protein from soup enough to count as a real meal?
The protein comes from shrimp and lentils, two different sources in one bowl. Research has found the body can use more than the old 30g-per-meal ceiling for muscle building, so 25g from a single serving is solid ground for a real meal.
Read the full evidence reviewCan I use fresh shrimp instead of frozen?
Fresh works fine. Skip Step 1 and go straight to frying. Frozen shrimp are convenient because they thaw in minutes and tend to be flash-frozen at sea, which preserves texture better than shrimp that spent days on ice at the counter.
Why add the lentils so late in the cooking?
Canned lentils are already cooked. They only need 2 minutes to warm through and absorb the broth flavors. Adding them earlier would turn them to mush. This keeps the soup with distinct textures: soft potato, intact lentils, and crispy shrimp on top.
How does one bowl of soup deliver 9g of fiber?
Lentils, potato, celery, and tomatoes each contribute. Lentils alone bring roughly 4g per half cup, and the potato adds another 2g with skin on. At 2.24g of fiber per 100 kcal, this soup hits a fiber density that research has linked to greater fat loss during energy restriction.
Read the full evidence review
