Lentil Soup
Lentil soup is a delicious soup packed with vitamins, minerals and plant-based protein. And it is made with pantry ingredients, plus long-lasting root vegetables, making it a great meal to pull together in a pinch.👌🏻
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion medium, diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 1/2 cups carrots diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 cloves garlic finely minced
- 8 cups vegetable stock (I used 8 cups water + 1 2/3 Tablespoons Better than Bullion vegetable base)
- 14.5 ounces tomatoes (1 can, undrained)
- 2 cups green lentils (dried, or brown lentils work too! Rinse them off first.)
- 13 ounces red potatoes (2 medium red potatoes, diced into 1 inch pieces. Yukon golds or russets also work well.)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano dried, or 1.5 teaspoon fresh
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried, or 1 Tablespoon fresh
- Salt and pepper to taste*
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cups spinach roughly chopped
Instructions
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Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium low heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and bay leaf, and cook until softened (about 5 minutes).
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Add garlic, and cook 1 minute more.
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Increase heat to medium high; add in the vegetable stock, tomatoes, lentils, seasonings and bring to a boil.
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Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and cook 17 minute on a low simmer, stirring occasionally.
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Add potatoes, and cook another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom.
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When there is 2 to 3 minutes of cook time left, add in chopped fresh spinach.
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Optional: To thicken soup, use a potato masher, pressing down a few times (8 to 10) through the soup until reaching your desired thickness or consistency. Alternatively, you can use a stick blender: 2 to 4 quick pulses.
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Optional: Squeeze in the juice of one lemon, and stir to combine. This is optional, but it really brightens up the flavor.
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Optional: Finish of with some chopped fresh herbs for garnish. Parsley, green onion or fresh thyme would taste great!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
*If you use Better Than Bullion, there is a decent chance you won't need any additional salt. It is very salty on its own. Taste it first.