This straightforward lentil soup recipe is a giant bowl of Mediterranean taste and luxury from my childhood! It’s full of smoky chilies, tender potatoes, and greens. I really like that I could make it in a single pot in beneath an hour!
These days, I’ve been cooking all of the consolation meals I do know and love, from Macedonian moussaka to cabbage rolls and this hearty lentil soup recipe with smoky Macedonian peppers. For one more conventional recipe with lentils, do this Indian Mulligatawny stew!
That is my household’s well-known Mediterranean lentil soup recipe loaded with healthful components and comforting flavors from again residence. It’s a mixture of tender lentils, veggies, potatoes, and leafy greens in a wealthy, smoky broth with dried crimson chilies, herbs, and spices. I grew up consuming this soup no less than as soon as per week, on both a Wednesday or Friday, at all times. My mother made it so usually that she even planted lentils in our backyard. Let’s simply say, we had lentils for DAYS that 12 months.
Quick ahead, and whereas I’m not tending to a backyard of lentils, I nonetheless make my mother’s soup recipe usually. Particularly because it wanted lower than an hour on the stovetop!
Why I Love This Straightforward Lentil Soup Recipe
- Hearty and straightforward. This one-pot soup is my go-to each time I discover myself craving one thing hearty and comforting, that’s nonetheless straightforward to tug collectively. It wants easy however satisfying components like carrots, potatoes, canned lentils, and Swiss chard.
- Fast. Properly, by soup requirements! This straightforward lentil soup is prepared in 30-some-odd minutes, most of which is time spent simmering. It’s so hands-free, that even my husband isn’t scared off by the considered making it. And as a person who solely cooks pasta, that’s saying one thing.
- Daring Mediterranean flavors. I really like the daring, candy, and smoky taste of crimson chilies on this soup. Paired with recent herbs like parsley and garlic and a handful of seasonings, it’s the whole lot I really like about Macedonian cooking.
Components You’ll Want
Listed below are some notes on the components that want gathering for this lentil soup recipe. Scroll all the way down to the printable recipe card after the put up for the total components listing and recipe particulars.
- Olive Oil – Or one other cooking oil. You too can use butter.
- Aromatics – Diced onion, carrots, and celery create the flavour base for the soup.
- Potatoes – I take advantage of Yukon Gold potatoes, that are nice all-rounders for soup and stew recipes. Different good choices are russets, crimson, or yellow potatoes. Chop the potatoes into bite-sized chunks in order that they’ll cook dinner quicker.
- Recent Herbs – Chopped parsley, minced garlic cloves, and thyme sprigs.
- Seasonings – Paprika (candy or smoked), dried oregano, rosemary, salt, pepper, and a bay leaf. You may adapt the quantities and spices on this recipe relying in your tastes. For a spicier soup, add extra paprika, cayenne, or chili flakes.
- Broth – I take advantage of vegetable inventory to maintain this soup vegetarian. You may substitute low-sodium hen or beef broth if wanted.
- Lentils – Lentils are available in all types of colours, see beneath. In the event you’re utilizing canned lentils, keep in mind to empty and rinse them beforehand.
- Dried Purple Chilies – I like to make use of candy, dried Macedonian peppers. They’re a kind of banana pepper and the type my mother at all times makes use of in soups. Good options are Thai crimson chilies, ancho, or guajillo peppers (just like the peppers I take advantage of in my guajillo steak marinade). Take away the stems and seeds, and slice the chilies into quarters lengthwise.
- Greens – Swiss chard, child spinach, kale, or collard greens all work effectively on this recipe. Be at liberty to combine and match!
What Shade Lentils Are Finest for Soup?
I nearly at all times use earthy brown lentils or peppery inexperienced lentils on this lentil soup recipe. These are my prime two decisions! Right here’s how they evaluate:
- Inexperienced Lentils – Inexperienced lentils have a gentle however barely peppery taste. They soften simply sufficient when cooked, however nonetheless maintain their form, making them an amazing alternative for soups and stews.
- Brown Lentils – Brown lentils have a extra earthy style, they usually’re additionally a sensible choice for soups for a similar causes above.
- Purple Lentils – Purple lentils break down rapidly when cooked, in order that they are usually a bit mushy in soup recipes. That being mentioned, when you have crimson lentils, the flavour remains to be good, they usually’ll work in a pinch.
Make the Finest Lentil Soup
This vegetarian lentil soup comes collectively pretty rapidly in a single pot on the stovetop. It’s excellent for cozy weekend afternoons and the entire home smells superb whereas it cooks! Simply fascinated by it takes me proper again to my childhood. Let’s get began.
- Sauté the veggies. First, sauté the diced carrots, onions, celery, and potatoes in a big pot with olive oil till tender. Stir usually so the veggies brown evenly on all sides.
- Add seasonings. Subsequent, stir in your recent herbs and garlic, adopted by the dry seasonings, salt, and pepper. Prepare dinner for a minute, till aromatic.
- Add the remaining soup components. Now, add the broth and drop in a bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Convey the pot to a boil, and stir within the lentils and dried chilies.
- Prepare dinner. Decrease the warmth to a simmer and let the soup cook dinner, uncovered, for 20 minutes till the lentils and potatoes are cooked by and tender.
- Add greens. Lastly, stir in your leafy greens. Prepare dinner for one more couple of minutes to wilt the leaves. Afterward, pluck out the thyme and bay leaf, and serve.
Suggestions and Variations
- The place to search for dried chilies: I often discover dried chilies within the produce part, the worldwide meals aisle, or the spice aisle in most grocery shops. Don’t fear in the event you can’t discover Macedonian peppers. Whereas they’ve the perfect taste (wealthy, candy, and smoky, a bit like cayenne), nearly any dried crimson chili will work.
- In the event you can’t discover dried crimson chilies, I like to recommend substituting 1 teaspoon of paprika + ½ teaspoon chili powder to amp up the spicy broth.
- Substitute the lentils. If lentils aren’t your factor, you possibly can swap them out for chickpeas, beans, or one other legume. It received’t be lentil soup, however it’ll nonetheless style nice.
- Modify the seasonings on the finish of cooking. I like to recommend seasoning soups to style solely after they’ve simmered for some time. This manner, the flavors have an opportunity to come back collectively first. It’s effective to style as you go however save any main changes till the top of cooking.
- Totally different veggies. You may skip the potatoes or substitute candy potatoes, cauliflower, crimson bell peppers, and different veggies.
- Add protein. In the event you like your soup with meat, see my lentil and chorizo soup for one more straightforward variation. In any other case, when you have any pre-cooked shredded hen (a rotisserie hen or baked hen breasts work effectively), pulled pork, or beef ideas within the fridge, stir these in on the finish for a meaty model.
Serving Recommendations
My mother at all times served us lentil soup with crusty skillet bread for dunking. It’s simply as nice with grissini, selfmade gevrek (sesame bagels), or fluffy Mediterranean rice and a salad. Or, slurp it up simply as it’s! This cozy lentil soup has loads of textures and flavors, so that you hardly want something further (besides perhaps a glass of Pinot Grigio). It additionally leaves room for a slice of marble cake for dessert!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Preserve leftovers lined hermetic within the fridge for as much as 5 days. I really like making a large pot of lentil soup on the weekend to take pleasure in leftovers all week!
- Reheat. This soup reheats simply on the stovetop over medium warmth or within the microwave.
- Freeze. Retailer the soup in an hermetic container or freezer bag and freeze for as much as 3 months. In the event you make this soup meaning to freeze it immediately, cook dinner the veggies simply till they’re tender-crisp, not all through. This manner, they’ll cook dinner to the proper texture when the soup’s thawed and reheated.
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- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 giant carrots, thinly sliced
- 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 3 to 4 cups bite-sized chopped potatoes, I used small yukon gold potatoes
- ¼ cup chopped recent parsley
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon candy or smoky paprika, alter spice to your personal desire
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to style
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon freshly floor black pepper, or to style
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 3 sprigs recent thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup inexperienced or brown lentils, rinsed and drained
- 3 dried crimson chili peppers, scorching or candy, tops eliminated, minimize in fourths lengthwise (in the event you can’t discover any, use about 1 teaspoon extra paprika + 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or to style)
- 3 cups chopped leafy greens, I used swiss chard, however you should use child spinach, or kale, or collard greens, and so forth
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Sauté. Warmth olive oil in a big pot, or Dutch oven, over medium warmth. Add diced onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes to the recent oil; sauté for six minutes, or till veggies are barely tender and browned. Stir usually.
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Add herbs and spices. Stir in parsley and garlic; proceed to cook dinner for 1 extra minute. Season with paprika, oregano, rosemary, salt, and pepper; stir and cook dinner for 1 extra minute.
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Add the remaining components. Add vegetable broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf; flip the warmth as much as medium-high and convey to a boil. Stir within the lentils and the dry chili peppers, if utilizing. Convey the pot again to a boil.
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Prepare dinner. Scale back warmth to medium-low and cook dinner for 20 minutes, uncovered, till lentils and potatoes are tender.
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Stir within the greens. Stir in leafy greens and proceed to cook dinner for two to 4 extra minutes or till wilted.
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End and serve. Take away the lentil soup from the warmth; style for seasonings and alter accordingly. Take away bay leaf and thyme sprigs; serve.
- Storage: Retailer Lentil Soup in an hermetic container, and refrigerate for as much as 5 days.
- Freezing: Retailer utterly cooled Lentil Soup in an hermetic container OR freezer baggage. Freeze for as much as 3 months.
- In the event you intend to cook dinner the soup simply to freeze it immediately, I counsel cooking the veggies simply till tender and a bit crisp. They may have the proper texture as soon as reheated.
- Reheat frozen soup in a pot over medium warmth.
Serving: 2cups | Energy: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 18g | Fats: 8g | Saturated Fats: 1g | Ldl cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 535mg | Potassium: 1452mg | Fiber: 22g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 9580IU | Vitamin C: 43.2mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 9.5mg
Dietary data is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might differ based on the components and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
