Lentil Soup

This delicious and easy lentil soup brings onions, carrots, celery, garlic, tomatoes, and lentils together in a perfectly seasoned vegetables broth with fresh thyme.  The end result is a tasty heart warming soup with plenty of nutrition that the whole family can enjoy. This recipe is a hearty meal all by itself but for a classic weekend feast I like to serve it with Marinated Cucumbers and Red Onions and Garlic Hummus with fresh toasted pita slices.

We are big soup lovers in this house.  We eat and enjoy soup year round.  As I always say it is a good things we have air conditioning.  This soup is one of our favorites because it tastes so darn good, is quick and easy to fix, and it is full of an abundance of fresh vegetables, herbs and legumes.

How to make Lentil Soup

Start cooking the onions, celery, and carrots in a little vegetable oil until the onions and celery soften.  Then add the garlic, cumin and paprika cooking for about 1 minute stirring continually. Now add the vegetable broth, fire roasted tomatoes, and lentils.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 25 minutes or until the lentils are tender.  Then stir in fresh thyme, season with salt and pepper to taste, and if desired garnish with jalapeno rings.

Recipe notes and helpful tips

• Use brown or green lentils.  Do not use red lentils as they break down too fast when cooked.
• Go very light on the salt. As this soup has plenty of salt already from canned tomatoes
• For an aesthetically pleasing soup peel the carrots.  They will have that gorgeous bright orange color.
• Feel free to add crushed red pepper, spinach or kale, a spritz of lemon juice, or a little coriander for a change of pace.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 4 months.

What are lentils

Lentils are the dried seeds of a lentil plant.  They are legumes and closely related to beans, peas, and chickpeas. They grow in pods just like peas.  However lentils are dried and packed liked dried beans making them ideal for soups.  In fact you will find them in the same aisle as the dried beans in plastic bags.  Don’t forget that with soup you want the brown or green lentils.

Other soup recipes you will love!

• Black Bean Soup
• Zucchini Soup
• Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Ham and Bean Soup

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