Brown the beef

• Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add the cooking fat and the ground beef, then cook while breaking it up.

Add vegetables and seasonings

• Add the diced onion, minced garlic, cherry tomatoes and tomato sauce.
• Season with Italian seasoning, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
• Cook, stirring, for a few minutes.

Add broth and lentils

• Stir in the beef broth and the dried lentils.
• Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium.

Simmer until lentils are tender

• Cover with a lid and let it simmer until the lentils are tender.
• Stir occasionally and add a little extra broth or water if the soup becomes too thick.

Finish with basil

• Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh chopped basil.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Serve and store

• Serve hot, ideally with toasted sourdough bread.
• Store leftovers in the fridge for 3–4 days or in the freezer for 2–3 months.