Best Lentil Soup Recipe

A quick and easy healthy vegan Lentil soup plump full of fresh garden vegetables, lentils, and fresh thyme, all in a lightly seasoned vegetable broth. Fix a pot for your family today and enjoy some wholesome goodness.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword how to cook lentils soup, lentil vegetable soup, vegan lentil soup, vegan vegetable soup

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 219kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 medium yellow onion chopped
2 ribs celery chopped
2 carrots peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
2 14 ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes
1 ⅓ cups green or brown lentils
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Salt and black pepper to taste
Jalapeno rings optional garnish
Fresh parsley optional garnish

Instructions

Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook until the onions and celery soften. Add the garlic, cumin, and paprika, cooking for about 1 minute, stirring continually.
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 the fresh thyme, season with salt and pepper to taste, and if desired, garnish with jalapeno rings or fresh parsley.

Notes

Use brown or green lentils. Do not use red lentils, as they break down too fast when cooked.
Go very lightly on the salt, as this soup has plenty of salt already from canned tomatoes. To reduce the amount of sodium even more, use vegetable stock or chicken stock.
For an aesthetically pleasing soup, peel the carrots. They will have that gorgeous bright orange color.
Try adding other herbs and spices like red pepper flakes, a spritz of lemon juice, or a little coriander.
Other vegetables to add include spinach, kale, or sweet potatoes.
For a smoother soup, blend all or part of it with an immersion blender.
If more protein is desired, add browned sausage or cooked crisp bacon.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.
Or freeze in a heavy-duty zipper freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.

Nutrition