This flavourful Indian-spiced lentil soupis simple to make and packed with veggies for a filling meal!
The idea for this lentil soup came out of necessity. After recipe testing the broth for myhomemade vegetable broth post, I hadloadsleft over. Rather than freezing it, I decided to put it to use by making a soup with ingredients I had on hand in my fridge and pantry—a “clean out the kitchen” kind of soup, if you will. And whoa, it ended up so delicious, I just had to share the recipe with you!
The process for this soup came from mycauliflower soup recipe. Ilove pureed soups, but I knew I couldn’t blend ALL of these veggies down. I wanted both chunks of veggies and a thick, creamy base. So, why not blendsomeof the soup? Fortunately my little experiment worked out beautifully and I ended up with a lentil soup loaded with veggies, but the broth wasn’t thin and watery either.
To amp up the flavour in this lentil soup, I added garam masala. It’s the only powdered spice in the whole recipe, but it goes such a long way. It brings outallthe flavours, without making this taste like a lentil curry soup. (It will also make your kitchen smell amazing as the soup simmers away on the stove!)
LENTIL SOUP VIDEO:
Notes on Ingredients
Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
- Olive oil
- Red oniondiced – A yellow or white onion will work too!
- Celery
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Tomatoes– Use fresh or canned.
- Dried brown lentils
- Garam masala
- Salt and pepper
- Vegetable broth – Here’s how to make vegetable broth.
- Thyme
- Kale– Use any variety of kale, or swap in spinach or chard.
- Lime juice
Optional Lentil Soup Garnishes and Pairings
- A drizzle of high-quality olive oil
- Red wine or sherry vinegar
- Red pepper flakes
- Parsley or cilantro
- Za’atar
- Homemade croutons
- Naan or crusty bread
How to Make Lentil Soup
This is a pretty standard soup recipe as far as the process goes! Here’s what you’ll need to do.
Cook the vegetables. Warm half of the olive oil in a large, deep pot set over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, carrot, and garlic. Stir and let the vegetables cook for about 8 minutes, or until softened.
Add more ingredients. Stir in the tomatoes, lentils, garam masala, salt, and pepper, then pour in the broth and add the thyme.
Simmer. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 30 minutes, or until lentils are soft.
Puree. Scoop out two cups of soup with liquid and pour into your blender. If you have a glass blender, ensure it cools down a bit first! Press the soup setting or blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Finish. Stir the pureed soup mixture back into the pot, then add the kale and lime juice; stir to combine. Ladle into bowls and serve with your favourite toppings.
Tips for Success
Here are my best tips for making perfect lentil soup:
- Swapping in different lentil varieties. You can use another type of lentils if you happen to have them on hand. Puy lentils will be a bit firmer, while red lentils will completely break down into the soup. Learn more: How to Cook Lentils
- Using an immersion blender. If you have an immersion blender, you can use that instead of a traditional blender to puree the soup just enough to thicken it.
- Letting the flavours develop. This is the kind of recipe that tastes better after a day or two in the fridge! If you’re planning to make it for dinner, you might just want to make it the night before.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Transfer the soup to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 4 to 5 days. Reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop.
Can This Be Frozen?
Yes, this lentil soup is great for freezing! Transfer it to a zip-top freezer bag or airtight storage container and freeze it for up to 3 months. You can reheat it from frozen or let it thaw in the refrigerator, then heat it up.
Enjoy friends! If you make this vegan lentil soup recipe, please snap a photo and tag#jessicainthekitchenonInstagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Indian-Spiced Lentil Soup
Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Cook Time: 40 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr
This easy Lentil Soupis loaded with delicious spices and verysimple to put together. It tastes wonderful alone or as a side dish, and it's vegan, gluten-free and loaded with whole food ingredients.
5 (from 25 ratings)
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced, or two medium size carrots
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 26 ounces fresh tomatoes, chopped – you can also use a 28oz can diced tomatoes and drain the liquid – (737g)
- 1 cup dried brown lentils, 7.1 ounces/200g, picked over, rinsed and dried
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- salt & pepper to taste, I use 3/4 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2-3 sprigs thyme, to be removed at the end
- 1 cup kale, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime
- Toppings, Optional: Oil drizzle, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, parsley, and/or sprinkle of zaatar Crusty bread
Instructions
In a large, deep pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil to heat.
Add the onions, celery, carrot and minced garlic. Stir together and allow to sweat for about 8 minutes, to soften and release natural juices from the veggies.
Add in the tomatoes, brown lentils, garam masala and salt and pepper. Stir together. Pour in the vegetable broth, and add the thyme and stir again.
Bring to a boil, and then to a simmer for 30 minutes, until lentils are fully cooked.
Remove the thyme. Scoop out two cups of soup (with liquid) and pour into your blender. If you have a glass blender, ensure it cools down a bit first!
Press the soup setting or blend until fully blended out. Pour back into soup pot and mix the souptogether one more time to combine everything.
Add in kale and lime juice and stir to combine.
Serve the soup and top with your favourite toppings and enjoy!
Notes
To store: Transfer soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for 4 to 5 days. Reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop.
To freeze: Transfer to a zip-top freezer bag or airtight storage container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen or let it thaw in the refrigerator, then heat it up.
Calories: 206kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 1033mg, Potassium: 784mg, Fiber: 13g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 4794IU, Vitamin C: 33mg, Calcium: 84mg, Iron: 3mg
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Cuisine: American
Course: Soups
Author: Jessica Hylton
P.S. Here are some of the items I used to make this recipe if you’d like to use them too:
|WHAT YOU’LL NEED// SHOP MY FAVORITEINGREDIENTS & PREP PRODUCTS|
