There is something so satisfying about a pot of soup, full of vegetables, simmering on the stove. Lentils are packed with fibre and protein, making this a perfect vegetarian dish to add to your repertoire of quick healthy meals.
Nutrition Benefits of Lentils
I love cooking with lentils for a number of reasons. From a nutrition perspective, I always recommend having a source of protein at each meal, and lentils totally fit the bill. Lentils have, per cup: 18 grams of plant protein, 16 grams of fibre, around 20% of your daily potassium needs and a solid dose of iron, vitamin B6 and magnesium. They also cook really quickly from dry AND are so inexpensive!
Lentils are really a dream food from every angle. It’s a shame that a lot of the diets today exclude beans and lentils given the fact that they are such a nutrition powerhouse, and so much better for your body and the planet as a protein source vs animal sources. Of course, there are exceptions for those who truly can’t tolerate them (ie: low FODMAP diet). If in doubt chat with a registered dietitian who can help you find the best diet for you!
What to Serve With Soup
This is my take on lentil soup that I adapted from Alton Brown’s recipe years ago. If you haven’t made your own soup before this is a perfect one to get your feet wet! You’ll see how absolutely easy it is to make your own soup to pack for a healthy and inexpensive lunch or a light dinner paired with a green salad (try my go-to vinaigrette salad dressing that can make any green salad taste amazing!).
If you’re looking for a full salad recipe that you can prepare ahead, try this Harvest Apple Quinoa Salad or my Kitchen Sink Salad. If you’re feeling extra ambitious why not whip up a batch of Veggie Muffins to really wow your crowd (they freeze so well!) – here is the link to my vegan version of the Veggie Muffins! Can you hear your body saying thank you yet?
If you don’t want to cook your own lentils, or don’t have dry lentils on hand, simply add a can of drained lentils to the cooked veggies with the stock at the end and heat before serving!
Happy cooking my friends!
xo
Tori
Hearty Lentil Soup (gluten free & vegan)
This healthy and fibre-filled lentil soup is so easy to make and is super satisfying to make during those chilly winter months. Serve with rustic crusty whole grain bread (gluten free if needed) for a warming nourishing meal.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dry green lentils
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3/4 cup peeled carrots, diced
- 3/4 cup celery, diced
- 3 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped (unpeeled)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- 2 litres of vegetable or chicken stock (to make it vegan use vegetable stock)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
-
Rinse and soak the lentils in water, at least 3 hours or overnight if possible. You can skip the soaking but they will just take about twice as long to cook.
-
In a large heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally Add the garlic, carrots and celery, and cook for about 4-5 minutes, until the vegetables soften, stirring occasionally Add the tomatoes and spices cook for an additional 5 or so minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down.
-
Drain the lentils. Add the lentils and stock, and simmer for approximately 45 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Do not over cook this soup as the lentils will disintegrate! Add salt and pepper to your taste and enjoy!
Another DELICIOUS soup! My husband (not normally a soup kind of guy) went back for seconds, and thirds….
PS can we get a recipe for the salmon you posted on Instagram?
Hi Mona! I will absolutely post a fantastic recipe for salmon- I ordered this one at a sweet little restaurant in Nelson BC:). Sorry for the delay in responding and thank you so much for the follow and nice comments!
Absolutely delicious!!!
How much water do you let the lentils soak in? I have never experimented with them before. Can’t wait to try the soup.
Just enough to cover them – would love to know what you think!
Making this for dinner tonight:) Just made your lemon muffins as well– so delicate, light and delicious….
Thank you Kirsten!!!
This recipe was so delicious! Everyone went back for seconds…including my two toddlers! I will definitely be making it again. Thank you!
That’s awesome thanks Abbey!!
Could you substitute the green lentils for red? I know they have different consistencies…. wondering if you have tried. Thanks!
Hi Pam, I didn’t but someone else did and it turned out great apparently!
This is amazing!! I tried it with red lentils! It was fantastic! Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so happy you tried it with red lentils Jessica I was curious how it would turn out! Thanks!
So so good! Made the soup this morning and can’t stop eating it.
That’s amazing thanks Jodi!
Hello! Do you have the nutritional information for the soup? Can’t wait to try
Hi Becky sorry no I don’t have that information.
What do you consider 1 serving?
Such a great question – I didn’t measure it, but that would be good to do in the future. I just spooned it into bowls and that helped me determine the servings.
It’s been a while since I’ve made a green lentil soup and this was so easy and delicious! Like other reviews, I couldn’t stop eating it and neither could my toddler. (I did add a bit of spinach and red chilis but the soup was great with or without).
So yummy.. My husband and I love it! Will make it again for sure! I’ve tried 4 of your recipes this week and we loved them all! Can’t wait for your cookbook to come out!
Thank you so much Mandy!!!
3rd time making this now, my lentils are currently soaking and I cant wait for dinner!
Its great after freezing as well, I always store some in the freezer and haul it out on busy days!
Love, love, love!
That’s so awesome thank you Victoria!!!
This has become one of my favorite soups!!
Thanks Tori
Will this soup freeze well? Just curious about freezing the lentils will they go soggy?
It should freeze well – though I will admit I haven’t frozen it!
When dicing the tomatoes do you remove the flesh and seeds or leave them intact?
Hi Theresa, I just leave them intact.
Hi, Tori! Greetings from Latvia. I will definitely try this soup. Any suggestions to replace celery? Thank you
You could leave it out or add a little extra onion!
Tori do I use whole dry lentils for this recipe?
Such a yummy soup! A hit with my picky toddler! Thanks so much Tori for all of your wonderful recipes! Yum!
Hi Tori, I can’t wait to try this! I have “french green” lentils. Are those the same as dry green?
Hi Natalie, they unfortunately aren’t quite the same. This is a great article that explains the difference between types of lentils: https://www.bonappetit.com/story/types-of-lentils
Delish and beautiful!!! Also LOVE the white-handled bowls to serve this. Do you have a link for these white serving bowls??? Thanks so much for sharing your talents!
Hi Jenn, they’re from Homesense so I unfortunately don’t have a link!
I just purchased similar bowls from Crate & Barrel and have made onion soup in them.
Nice!
Can cAnner lentils be used or just dry?
Canned lentils should work just fine!
I made this soup last night and it was a huge win. I used red lentils instead of green, only because I happen to have an obscene amount of red lentils and am always trying to find new ways to use them. I think I liked it more with the red lentils than I would with the green, because they get so soft and have such a great texture. I also used summer tomatoes that I had roasted and frozen, and they were a great addition. Everything else I followed exactly, and I think next time I would use less stock. Maybe because I swapped the lentils, but I found that the soup was just a *tad* too liquidy for my liking. But the flavour was amazing. Served them with cornbread muffins from my old trusty Rebar cookbook (hands down the best cornbread recipe!) and everyone was happy, including my 18 month old.
Soup turned out very mushy and needed more flavour
I’m sorry to hear that Ravinder! I suppose you could always add more spices if you liked it more flavourful and perhaps the soup was just cooked a bit too long (cook time can vary) as it shouldn’t have been mushy.
Take care, Tori
So tasty. I made mine in the instant pot. Prepped all through the steps until simmering then cooked for 15min although probably could of been reduced to 10-12min
Hi Jill, so glad you enjoyed it and I’m happy to hear it works in the instant pot. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Delicious and easy to make!
I really appreciate the review Erika! Thanks so much. Tori
Delicious and very hearty.
Amazing! I did have a question when put on simmer, should lid be on pot? Or left uncovered? Thank you Tori for sharing your amazing recipes!
Hi Victoria! Great question, I usually cover it! Have a great day!
This looks delicious! Will probably make it this week. Can it be done in the slow cooker?
Hey Lori! Believe it or not I haven’t tried, but I am sure it would! First time you do it just pay close attention to the lentils and how they are cooking – you dont want them too mushy! xx Tori
Thank you so much 🙂
This was delicious! Also a perfect recipe to put in an Instant Pot. Put everything in (no need to soak the lentils) and pressure cooked for 12 minutes. It was perfect!
Thanks for sharing your Instant Pot notes Yvonne! I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe
I just made tbjs and it is delicious. My only comment is that I did not soak my lentils so anticipated them needing to cook for well over an hour. However after 50 minutes they were done. Not sure if this is because I simmered it with the lid on (saw that in your comments)? Either way it was good. I’m just happy I checked or mine would have been very mushy.
Thanks for the feedback Kate! Different ranges cook a bit different depending on how hot your burners at various settings get so that makes sense that you saw a bit of variation – really glad it turned out for you! Have a wonderful weekend, Tori