Lentil Vegetable Soup

Deliciously zesty, my lentil vegetable soup warms and nourishes the belly on a chilly evening. Brimming with colorful veggies such as carrots, celery, parsnips, potatoes, fennel, and tomatoes, this hearty recipe is a fantastic vegan option loaded with protein and healthy fiber!

A cozy, hearty, and warming vegan soup

When I think of a simple, rustic, and incredibly cozy homemade meal, a big pot of soup simmering away on the stove always comes to mind.

Soup is such a fantastic option as a complete meal because it typically comes together fairly quickly. It can be loaded up with vegetables, lean protein, even beans or legumes instead of meat for a hearty meal in a bowl.

Enter this rich, zesty, and utterly comforting lentil vegetable soup, one of my hubby's and my latest favorite winter soups. We love to ladle it up when we're in need of extra TLC and coziness.

Made completely vegan, and absolutely brimming with an array of healthy and colorful vegetables, plus tender brown lentils, a big bowl of this nutritious and delicious elixir is just what a chilly evening calls for!

My recipe for lentil vegetable soup

Seeing as the main star of this scrumptious lentil vegetable soup is the lentils, I like to use dried lentils for this recipe.

What I love about dried lentils is how quickly they cook up in a soup, with no need to pre-soak them, or to cook them for hours on end. They're typically nice and tender in around 35 to 45 minutes!

I always like to give my dried lentils a quick rinse under cold, running water to remove any bits of debris. After rinsing, I then gently pick through them to make sure there aren't any little hidden stones or hard pieces, which you can sometimes find in a bag of dried lentils.

To make this soup deliciously hearty and extra flavorful, I add an array of fresh vegetables such as carrots, celery, onion, garlic, fennel, potatoes and diced tomatoes. Each brings not only lots of texture, but also terrific, earthy flavor to this soup.

I also add a dollop of tomato paste to create balance with that bit of acidity. Sprinkling in a good pinch of dried herbs and smoked paprika adds depth.

And since I'm going in a vegan direction with this lentil vegetable soup, I use vegetable stock as my liquid. That said, chicken stock is also really delicious here if you don't mind this soup not being vegan.

Everything in this recipe works so wonderfully together, creating a soup that is truly zesty and delicious!

Here's a glance at my lentil vegetable soup recipe:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I place my soup pot (about 6-quart) over medium-high heat, and add my oil.
2. I then sauté and cook my aromatic vegetables for a few minutes, until they begin to soften.
3. Next, I stir in my herbs, spices and garlic, and once aromatic, I add in my tomato paste.
4. The diced tomatoes with juices go in next, as well as the potatoes, and things get a good stir before I add in my rinsed lentils.
5. Then, I add in my stock, bring things to a vigorous simmer, then reduce the heat and allow the lentil vegetable soup to gently simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
6. I finish this scrumptious lentil vegetable soup with fresh herbs, then ladle up, drizzle with extra olive oil, and enjoy!

Recipe

Lentil Vegetable Soup

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This hearty and delicious lentil vegetable soup is loaded with an array of colorful and nutritious veggies and warming spices!

Category: Soup
Cuisine: American

Yield: Serves 8

Nutrition info: 280 calories (per serving)

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 55 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 1 small fennel bulb, diced
• 1 parsnip, peeled and diced
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 6 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes (or plain diced tomatoes), with juices
• 1 cup diced baby yellow potatoes
• 1 ½ cups dried, brown lentils, rinsed and picked through
• 6 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Place a large soup pot (about 6-quart size) over medium heat, and drizzle in a good amount of the olive oil, about ¼ cup worth.
3. Once hot, add in the diced onion, carrots, celery, fennel bulb and parsnip, along with a couple of good pinches of salt and black pepper, and stir to combine. Sauté the veggies until they begin to become tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Next, add in the Italian seasoning, smoked paprika and garlic, and stir together until the veggies become aromatic, about 30 seconds.
5. Stir in the tomato paste to coat the vegetables well, then pour in the diced tomatoes along with their juices, stirring to incorporate once again.
6. Then, add in the diced baby potatoes and the rinsed lentils, along with the vegetable stock, and stir to combine.
7. Bring the lentil vegetable soup to a vigorous simmer/boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and allow it to very gently simmer for 45 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
8. To finish the lentil vegetable soup, stir in the chopped parsley and cilantro, then ladle into a bowl and drizzle in a bit of extra olive oil, if desired.

Tips & Tidbits for my lentil vegetable soup recipe:

• Dried, brown lentils for lots of texture: Classic brown lentils are a terrific pick here, as they're easy to find and are quick to cook, offering lots of fiber and texture. The brown lentils used are dried lentils, in a bag, rather than canned, pre-cooked lentils. If you do choose to use canned lentils, then simply drain and rinse them, and do not add them into the soup until the end, when you would add in the chopped herbs, as they are already tender. Also, reduce the cooking time for the soup to about 25 minutes, just until the potatoes are tender.
• Loads of colorful, nutritious vegetables: The nuanced flavor that the combination of carrot, celery, fennel and parsnip add to this soup is really lovely, offering just a hint of natural sweetness and terrific aroma. But you can feel free to add in your favorite veggies, or omit some from the recipe that you don't care for. This is a versatile soup that works well with pretty much any vegetable you may like, so feel free to get creative!
• Prepare this soup ahead for even deeper flavor: As is the case with all soups and stews, when they have a chance to sit for a couple of days, their flavor deepens even more. So, this lentil vegetable soup is an ideal candidate to make a day or two (or three!) ahead of when you'd like to serve it, as the flavor will only get richer.
• How to store leftover portions of lentil vegetable soup: Any leftover portions of this soup can easily be frozen, and you can use either a freezer-safe, large zip-lock bag, or a large glass mason jar with a lid (in this case, don't fill the glass jar all the way to allow for expansion during freezing). Simply thaw in the fridge for a couple of days when ready to enjoy again.

Craving more comfy-cozy soups like this one? Check out my recipe for classic Lentil Soup, Curry Lentil Soup, Lentil Chili, Black Bean Soup with Spanish Chorizo, Chickpea Chili, or even my Moroccan Chicken Soup!