Sometimes simple ingredients can come together to create an orchestra of flavor and nutrients. This lentil soup is anything but bland and uses pantry ingredients. I’m sure you’ll be adding this to your regular rotation of meals!
Why will you love this soup?
- it’s warming with a touch of heat and creaminess!
- it’s so easy to put together
- full of great nutrients and health benefits
- plant based protein!
- Did I mention it’s delicious?
What’s so great about lentils, anyways?
Did you know there are SO many colors and varieties of lentils? There are brown, green, red and yellow. All of them have a slightly distinct taste and flavor profile. Here are some of the different lentils there are!
Lentils are a great plant based protein that comes from the legume family. There are so many different varieties to choose from which all are packed with nutrients and health benefits. Some of the ones I have used before in cooking, as shown below are brown, green, split, red, mong, and yellow lentils.
There are a variety of health benefits to lentils which include:
- Lowering and controlling blood pressure
- Improving heart health
- Providing iron for an energy boost
- Adding fiber into your body to help with digestion
We’re using red lentils for today’s recipe!
Okay let’s do this! What’s in this soup?!
I’m so glad you asked! Here are the contenders for today’s recipe!
- Red lentils – these cook super quick and makes this soup protein packed
- Vegetables – onions, carrots, and potatoes to make it wholesome
- Spices – garlic, cumin, paprika, turmeric, and salt to add flavour to the soup
- Hot sauce – I used sriracha but any hot sauce works to add a nice kick
- Broth – A flavorful base for the soup to cook in. I love this one.
- Citrus – a squeeze of freshness before serving
- Fresh herbs – I used parsley this time but coriander is also a great one to chop up and top the soup with
Step by step on making the soup
Step 1
Gathering and chopping your ingredients. Having everything ready will make for a seamless cooking experience! Chop the vegetables pretty evenly so they can all cook evenly and at the same time.
Step 2
In a medium sized pot, heat your olive oil until it’s hot but not sizzling. Keep the temperature around medium low. Throw in your garlic and onions until it’s soft and fragrant. Let the onions soften until they have a hint of golden brown.
Step 3
Add in your other vegetables that you’re using. For this recipe it would be potatoes and carrots. Give them a stir and let garlic and onions coat them.
Step 4
Mix in the spices to coat the vegetables. Mmm can you smell the beautiful scent from your screen? So enticing!
Step 5
Stir in the lentils and let them saute for a couple minutes. Look at all that beautiful vibrant color!
Step 6
Pour in your vegetable broth and let it cover your vegetables. Let it come to a quick boil and then reduce the temperature to low and let it simmer on low for 15-20 minutes, until everything is tender.
Step 7
Once everything is cooked, you can choose if you want to keep the soup chunky as is or blend until smooth.
Do I have to blend it?
If you prefer the look and taste of textured soup then you don’t have to blend it! It’s completely your call and doesn’t reduce or take away from the taste of this recipe!
Step 8
The best part! Time to serve and garnish! Finish off with some parsley and lemon juice. Lemon juice is essential! You can even grate 1/8 tsp of lemon zest to go along with the fresh lemon juice! Try not to substitute fresh with the bottled lemon juice.
Enjoy hot with some fresh bread or pita chips
What types of garnishes can I use?
If you know me and what I love about food – it’s the garnishes!
You can use:
- coconut or oat yogurt (thick ones) to add a bit of color and flavor by spooning a little on the top and using a toothpick and make a small circle to distribute it
- red chili flakes
- pita chips
- chopped fresh cilantro/parsley
- additional lemon zest/lemon juice
Substitutions or alternatives to this soup
Lentils
You can choose from green, red, orange or brown for this recipe! But please note it will change the color of the soup.
Canned lentils
I’m all for using what’s around your home, but try to use the dry version! Nothing beats cooking lentils from scratch as they will absorb the flavors more. It’s also a healthier option. And a bag of lentils will go a long way compared to the canned version.
Crusty bread
If you don’t have pita chips you can warm up some crusty French bread and use it to dip.
Rice
Are you a fan of rice? Cook some rice to go along with your soup. I pour the soup over the rice! Such a creamy and delicious meal!
Freezing and storing options
Lentil soup can store well in the fridge in a air tight container for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze it with no issue. Double batch this recipe so you can keep some containers in the freezer for those days you need it!
On the lentil train and want more ways to use it?!
Oh these small little beauties are so versatile and there are so many ways to use it!
- Sizzling Tarka Daal, Made Easy!
- Cooked and placed in a salad! Green and brown ones are a great option!
- Blended into a pasta sauce – YUM!!
- As a base for a burger patty like this and substitute lentils for black beans.
- Used as a substitution for ground meat in lasagna
There are so many options that you can use with that bag you’ve had in your cupboards forever!
Other Soup Recipes to try
I love soups! The combinations are endless of what you can make into a soup. Here are some other recipes to try that you might enjoy:
Creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup
Delicious Butternut Squash Soup
Lentil Soup
Equipment
- 1 pot
- 1 cutting board
- 1 knife
Ingredients
- 1 onion diced
- 1 tsp garlic 2 cloves
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 potato diced
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp pink salt
- 1 cup red lentils
- 3 cups Vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- parsley chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a pot on medium high heat with some olive oil.
- Add in the garlic and stir until fragrant. Mix in the onions and saute until lightly golden browned
- If you are adding any other vegetables (carrots and potatos), add them in now to saute and mix
- Mix in the spices to coat the vegetables.
- Stir in the lentils and let them saute for a couple minutes.
- Cover with the broth and bring to a quick boil. Immediately, let it simmer on low for 15-20 minutes, until everything is tender.
- Turn off the heat, and add some chopped parsley and fresh lemon juice.
- Enjoy hot with some fresh bread or pita chips
Nutrition
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