This easy lentil soup with vegetables is delicious, healthy, and satisfying. Simmered to perfection, this traditional soup is rustic and simple to make.
Full of yummy veggies and savory lentils, this one-pot meal is cozy and soothing as it warms you up from the inside out. Not only is it very quick to make but it is also tasty and nutritious which makes it a winner every time.
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The combination of onions, garlic, oregano, cayenne, and bay kick this soup up a notch without being overwhelming. The flavors blend together beautifully for an aromatic and taste bud treat.
This recipe is also very versatile. You can substitute different vegetables based on what you have on hand. You can even adapt the spices to include your own favorites.
There is nothing better than making a pot of this delicious, nutritious lentil soup with vegetables anytime. It is simply the best.
Ingredients
- Dry Lentils - ½ pounds or about 1 ⅛ cup, brown or green lentils are best for this recipe, avoid red or yellow lentils because they cook in about half the time
- Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Onion - ⅔ Cup Chopped, sweet onion is the best but you could also use yellow or white
- Garlic - 2 Cloves
- Broth or Water - 5 Cups
- Bay Leaf - 1 leaf
- Oregano - ½ teaspoon
- Black Pepper - ¼ teaspoon
- Salt - 2 teaspoons
- Cayenne Pepper - 1 pinch
- Carrots - 2 carrots
- Celery - 2 stalks
- Caned Diced Tomatoes - one 15-ounce can
Instructions
To make this scrumptious lentil soup, sort through your lentils and pick out any debris. Then rinse and drain well.
Warm a pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and chopped onion to the pot and stir often until the onions begin to brown.
Smash the garlic, remove the skin and chop it finely before adding it to the onions. Cook for about one more minute.
Add the broth or water and lentils to the pot and then bring to a boil.
Incorporate the bay leaf, black pepper, salt, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft but not overcooked.
Chop the carrots and celery and add to the mixture as well. Add the can of tomatoes, including the juices. Simmer for about 10 more minutes or until the carrots are tender.
Remove the bay leaf before serving.
Substitutions
You can substitute different vegetables if you would like. It is. simple to add your own favorite veggies or whatever you happen to have on hand.
The onions add a lot of flavors but they could be replaced with another vegetable that has the same bulk. Try bell peppers, carrots, leeks, cabbage, or celery.
Good substitutes for carrots in this recipe include parsnips, squash, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, or corn. If celery is not an option, you could try fennel, green beans, cabbage, asparagus, or leeks.
To make this soup without tomatoes, simply omit the can of tomatoes.
The spices can also be exchanged if you prefer a certain spice combination.
Omit the bay leaf, oregano, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Instead, try 2 adding teaspoons of Italian Seasoning, Mexican chili powder blend, curry and soy sauce, or your own special seasoning.
Variations
You could definitely add meat to this recipe if you wanted. Sausage, ground beef, or ground turkey are all good options.
Add the meat along with the onions, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. You can omit the olive oil if using sausage or ground beef because it usually has enough grease.
Cook it until it is browned and then drain any excess grease. Then add the garlic and follow the rest of the directions.
To use canned lentils, drain and rinse two 15-ounce cans of lentils. Add the lentils at the very end along with the canned tomatoes and then simmer for about 10 minutes before serving.
Storage, Reheating, and Freezing
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat in a pot on the stove over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the soup is hot and bubbly about 10 to 15 minutes.
It can also be reheated in the microwave. Place one serving in a bowl and microwave for 1 ½ to 2 minutes or until hot.
Leftovers can also be frozen in an airtight container or a zip-top freezer bag for up to 4 months. To use, defrost in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat on the stove or microwave.
Frozen soup can also be heated directly from the freezer in a pot with a lid on the stove. Stir frequently to mix the thawed soup around for about 30 minutes or until soup is hot.
Crock Pot Directions
Add all the ingredients except the canned tomatoes to a slow cooker.
Cook until the lentils and vegetables are tender, on low for about 7 hours or on high for about 3 hours.
Add the can of tomatoes and cook for 30 more minutes.
Tips
Make sure that the lentils are completely cooked before adding the tomatoes. The acid in the tomatoes will stop the lentils from cooking.
Lentils are small and cook quickly so there is no need to soak them as you do with other beans.
However, you could soak them if you wanted to. Some people find them easier to digest after they have been soaked.
What to Serve With
Serve with crusty no-knead bread, warm corn muffins, or served over a scoop of steamed rice. It is also perfect with a green salad on the side.
If desired serve with a crisp white wine such as sauvignon blanc or vouvray. It would also work well with a medium-bodied red, such as chianti, or syrah.
Recipe
Lentil Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ lb. Dry Lentils
- 1 Tb. Olive Oil
- ⅔ Cup Onion
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 5 Cups Water
- 1 Bay Leaf
- ½ tsp. Oregano
- ¼ tsp. Black Pepper
- 2 tsp. Salt
- 1 Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
- 2 Carrots
- 2 Celery Stalks
- 1 Can Diced Tomatoes 15 oz
Instructions
- To make this scrumptious lentil soup, sort through your lentils and pick out any debris. Then rinse and drain well.
- Warm a pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and chopped onion to the pot and stir often until the onions begin to brown.
- Smash the garlic, remove the skin and chop it finely before adding it to the onions. Cook for about one more minute.
- Add the broth or water and lentils to the pot and then bring to a boil.
- Incorporate the bay leaf, black pepper, salt, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft but not overcooked.
- Chop the carrots and celery and add to the mixture as well. Add the can of tomatoes, including the juices. Simmer for about 10 more minutes or until the carrots are tender.
- Remove the bay leaf before serving.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
You can substitute different vegetables if you would like. It is. simple to add your own favorite veggies or whatever you happen to have on hand.
Other good veggies to try are bell peppers, leeks, cabbage, celery, squash, parsnips, sweet potatoes, corn, fennel, green beans, asparagus, or kale.
To make this soup without tomatoes, simply omit the can of tomatoes.
Lentils are small and cook quickly so there is no need to soak them as you do with other beans.
However, you could soak them if you wanted to. Some people find them easier to digest after they have been soaked.
Brown or green lentils are best for this recipe, avoid red or yellow lentils because they cook in about half the time.
Yes, you can definitely add meat to this recipe if you wanted. Sausage, ground beef, or ground turkey are all good options.
Add the meat along with the onions, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. You can omit the olive oil if using sausage or ground beef because it usually has enough grease.
Alex
This soup was really good. It surprised me because I usually don't really like lentils but this tasted really fresh and healthy. I actually added in a few mushrooms too because I had them in the fridge. I will make this again because I am trying to eat healthier and shed a few pounds.