Hearty Lentil and Vegetable Soup (Print Version)

Hearty lentils simmered with vegetables in spiced broth for a nourishing meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Lentils

01 - 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 medium onion, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 carrots, peeled and diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
08 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
09 - 1 cup diced tomatoes, fresh or canned
10 - 4 cups vegetable broth
11 - 2 cups water
12 - 2 cups fresh spinach or kale, chopped

→ Seasonings

13 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
14 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
15 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
16 - 1 bay leaf
17 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
18 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

→ Optional Garnishes

19 - Chopped fresh parsley
20 - Lemon wedges

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic; sauté for 2-3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
02 - Add carrots, celery, zucchini, and red bell pepper to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until slightly softened.
03 - Stir in ground cumin, dried thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute until the spices become fragrant.
04 - Add rinsed lentils, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, water, and bay leaf to the pot. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
05 - Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 25 minutes, or until lentils and vegetables are tender.
06 - Stir in fresh spinach or kale and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
07 - Taste the soup and adjust seasoning as needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It's a complete meal in one pot that somehow tastes like you fussed over it for hours.
  • The spices do all the heavy lifting, turning simple vegetables into something that makes people ask for seconds.
  • You can throw in whatever vegetables are lurking in your crisper drawer and it only gets better.
02 -
  • Rinse your lentils before cooking so they don't make the broth cloudy and starchy.
  • Don't add salt until the very end because broth reduces as it simmers and you don't want to oversalt your final bowl.
03 -
  • Use vegetable broth that you actually like drinking because it's the flavor backbone of everything else in the pot.
  • Brown your onions and garlic an extra minute longer than feels necessary so they caramelize slightly and add depth.
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