Don’t let the simple name “lentil soup” fool you—this hearty soup is anything but simple when it comes to flavor.
If you haven’t introduced lentils to your life, it’s time you do so. They are conveniently inexpensive, bursting with nutrition, and have enough protein to replace meat. Surprisingly, it’s even easy to sneak them past kids since lentils sort of pick up the flavor of whatever they are in. Lentils are one of the oldest crops in the world. They first grew in Asia in 7000 B.C. That’s pretty amazing! They adapt well to most climates and, as mentioned, are a healthy option for all kinds of recipes, so it is no wonder they’ve survived in numerous cuisines all these years.
Admittedly, I used to avoid lentils simply because I didn’t understand how to use them. After I gave it a shot, I never looked back. Now, I always keep a jar-full on hand. Lentils add wonderful texture to stews, soups, and more. If I’m low on rice, beans, or even noodles, lentils can fill in. That’s a good thing since I make a ton of soups, including creamy tortellini soup and Crock-Pot potato soup. I don’t wait for fall and winter. Soup is allowed in my house any time of the year. It’s too useful to give up for months at a time. My favorite part of this lentil soup recipe is how far it stretches. It’s a great dish when entertaining several dinner guests, or even for a small family who can enjoy the leftovers.
Want to know why I really love cooking soups? It’s because, while recipes are helpful, with soup it’s okay to stray a bit, make changes, and add or remove items. Basically, you can’t go wrong with soup! In this recipe, vegetable broth and diced tomatoes form the base, and thyme, cumin, and curry create the unique flavors. As with many soups, it all begins with sauteing veggies, and after that, putting lentil soup together isn’t too difficult, and the results taste like you cooked all day.
Other soups I use lentils in are lemon lentil soup, vegan lasagna soup, and instant pot lentil soup. You could also add lentils to classic minestrone if you are short on beans. Besides soups, another favorite lentil dish is lentil salad.
How Do I Ensure Tender Veggies?
Why not just dump everything in one pot and get the soup going? Well, everything cooks at a different rate, so it is essential that you saute the carrots and onions before everything else. If you don’t, you will end up with crunchy onions and hard carrots when the soup is done. Soften up those veggies first and follow the steps in order so everything gets cooked evenly and the flavors meld together perfectly.
How do I prep and store Lentil Soup?
I think one of my biggest thrills in life is knowing dinner is in the refrigerator. When that happens, it’s a day off from cooking. And as much as I love to cook, we all like a day off now and then. Most soups are great stored in the refrigerator or freezer and reheated. Lentil soup is one of those. Allow it to cool completely after preparing the soup, then place it in an airtight container and put it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze lentil soup in the same way for up to 3 months. Another helpful trick when freezing soups is to put it in a Ziploc bag, lay it flat on a cookie sheet to freeze, then remove the cookie sheet, and you should be able to easily stack several bags full of soup for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
Lentil soup is a hearty meal, so it doesn’t need much else to go with it. Still, it’s nice to have a little something on the side when serving soup. I prefer a nice salad or a piece of bread. Some great ones that would go with this lentil soup recipe are garlic rolls, honey wheat sunflower bread, or Irish soda bread. If you are in more of a salad mood, try this easy Greek salad or an arugula caprese salad…yum!
I find this soup pretty filling; however, you could serve it as a starter to a light meal, too, such as glazed salmon or lemon-butter salmon. Sandwiches also complement any soup. Some of our faves are the chicken bacon cheddar sandwich, barbecue chicken sandwiches, and roast pork sandwiches. Enjoy!
Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow or white onion chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves pressed or minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 (28 oz. can) diced tomatoes lightly drained
- 1 cup brown or green lentils picked over and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt more to taste
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup chopped fresh collard greens or kale tough ribs removed
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 to 1 medium lemon, to taste
Instructions
- Start by heating the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers.
- Add the onion and carrots to the pot, cooking until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, curry powder, and thyme, cooking until fragrant, roughly 30 seconds.
- Mix in the diced tomatoes and let them simmer for a few minutes to deepen their flavor.
- Add the lentils, vegetable broth, water, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently, partially covered, until lentils are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Blend 2 cups of the soup until smooth, then return it to the pot to thicken the soup.
- Stir in the chopped greens and cook until they’re soft. Finish by adding lemon juice and adjusting the seasoning to your taste.
- Serve the soup hot. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for longer storage.
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