Lentil Vegetable Soup
The magic of the holidays has faded and now we are on to resolutions, organization, and eating healthy! January can be a difficult month after the high of Christmas-time. I’m sinking into the winter blues, but trying to stay positive amidst the chaos! One way to do that is to make food that feeds your body and your soul. What could be better than soup? It’s comforting, tasty, and you can pack it with vegetables that are so good for you. Lentil vegetable soup is a go-to in my house.
I never thought lentil soup was a great choice in the world of soup, but now that I have mastered the flavors, I love it! I make it multiple times in the winter months. It’s filling and satisfying, and really very simple. Soups are great for lunches and quick dinners. I made some extra tasty grilled cheese on some rosemary sourdough bread to go alongside this soup for dinner. It’s also delicious with a nice green salad.
Three Tips
There are a few tips for this that I’d like to share with you.
One, if you’re really pressed for time, buy your mirepoix already chopped! I do this often. It’s the most time consuming part of this soup, which isn’t really much, but some days you just need to take the shortcuts.
Another thing I do that makes my life easier is to use Better Than Bullion for my chicken or vegetable broth. It lasts forever in the fridge and I can just mix the amount I need for the recipe when I’m cooking. No more half used cartons or cans of broth. I think it tastes a million times better as well.
The last tip is to use fire roasted tomatoes if you can. This just brings a little more depth to the tomato flavor in the soup. I have used diced tomatoes and even some crushed when I needed to, which also tastes just fine, but I have really converted to the fire roasted.
The Process
When it comes to any vegetable soup, the most time consuming part is the chopping. Using a food processor or buying pre-cut veggies is a great way to save time when you need to.
So, first chop the onions, celery, and carrots into fairly small pieces. Then mince the garlic. Heat your large pot on the stove while you rinse the lentils.
Once the pot is nice and hot, add the olive oil and heat. Now you’re ready to build flavor. Start with the onions. Let them saute for a few minutes before adding the celery and carrots. If you have everything mixed together, it’s totally fine to throw it all in at once. Either way, give these some time to cook down and really soften. I don’t know about you, but when it comes to soup, I don’t want to be biting down on an almost raw chunk of carrot, so let them be!
Garlic can be added next and just give it a minute to become fragrant before adding the lentils and tomatoes. Give it a good stir and add the spices. Don’t skimp on these! They make this soup really exceptional. Saute everything for a few minutes and then add half of the broth or stock.
Using one quart should cover everything else in the pot so it can simmer nicely and really cook those lentils. Again, you don’t want them to be crunchy. Once you have a nice simmer going, walk away! Let the flavors meld together. Later, you’ll add the rest of the broth and do the same before adding the optional spinach.
When cooking this soup, you can totally throw it all in the pot and skip a few steps. It will still taste fine, but I’m a firm believer in taking a little extra time in allowing flavors to build as you cook. In my opinion, it really makes a difference. You’ll have a beautiful lentil vegetable soup that is slightly textured but nice and thick. You let me know if it makes yours better!
Hope you try this one and it lifts your January spirits! Happy weekend, friends.
Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 6-8 cloves garlic minced
- 3 celery stalks
- 3 carrots
- 1 lb lentils
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 14 oz can fire roasted or diced tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 oregano
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- fresh spinach optional
Instructions
- Chop onions and set aside
- Roughly chop celery and carrots and set aside as well
- Mince garlic cloves and set aside
- Rinse lentils and set aside
- Heat large pot on the stove and add olive oil once it’s hot
- Saute onions for about five minutes and then add the carrots and celery. Saute for ten minutes or until vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the garlic and saute for a minute or until fragrant.
- Once the garlic is added, the lentils and tomatoes can go in along with the spices. Stir to combine everything well.
- Add one quart or four cups of broth. Bring to a low boil and then simmer.
- Allow the lentils to soak in all of the liquid. This takes about twenty minutes.
- Add the second quart of broth and do the same. Adjust salt to taste if needed.
- Remove thyme sprigs and add fresh chopped spinach if you’re using it.
- Serve with a tasty bread or grilled cheese!
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