Red lentil and vegetable soup – a healthy, vegan soup that’s easy to make and loaded with vegetables. It’s a flavor packed soup perfect for cold chilly nights.
Saturday was a rainy day so I made a big pot of this red lentil and vegetable soup. I’ve been making this soup a lot this winter – it’s vegan, warm and comforting, full of flavor and packed with vegetables (3 cups of kale!).
Soup is one of my go-to meals in the winter. I love to make a big pot of soup and then use it up in different ways during the week.
- It’s great with a grilled cheese sandwich – a classic!
- Or serve it with a salad for a lighter option.
- This soup is so thick and hearty, I sometimes like to serve it over rice with a side of sautéed veggies for a healthy, vegan dinner.
This soup is simple to make and uses basic pantry ingredients and lots of fresh vegetables. It’s seasoned with curry and cumin – both aromatic spices that give the soup a warm, earthy kick. And it’s packed with kale – an all round good for you green.
Soup is a great way to get more plant-based meals into your family’s diet. It’s a great meatless Monday option – flavorful, healthy and filling with plenty of protein and fiber.
How to make this red lentil and vegetable soup:
- Prep all your ingredients – chop up the onion, celery, carrots and kale. Measure out the lentils and spices.
- Sauté the onions in a large pot until soft.
- Add the carrots, celery and kale and sauté until the kale has wilted and the veggies are soft.
- Add the lentils, spices, tomatoes and stock. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 35 minutes.
- Blend the soup with a hand blender to the desired consistency. I blended about half of the soup – I like it rich and hearty.
Tips and questions about making this soup:
What kind of shortcuts can I use when I make this recipe? I used two short cuts when prepping the ingredients. I used pre-chopped kale that was already shredded. And I used baby carrots – so I didn’t have to peel any carrots – just sliced up the baby carrots and I was done.
How long can I keep this soup in the fridge? You can store this soup in the fridge for up to five days in an airtight container.
Does this soup reheat well? Yes! Like most soups, it becomes richer and more flavorful the next day. If the soup seems too thick when you reheat it, add a little more stock or water to get your desired consistency.
Does this soup freeze well? Yes! Freeze in freezer friendly containers or in zip lock bags. I like to freeze it in individual portions. To thaw, I place the frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning it will have thawed and it’s ready to warm up on the stove top.
How do I prep the lentils? Always sort through lentils for small debris. I like to pour them out onto a rimmed baking sheet and look through for any old wrinkled lentils or small debris or stones and discard. Once you’ve sorted through the lentils, give them a quick rinse in a strainer before adding to the soup – lentils can be dusty.
Looking for more soup recipes? Then try one of these:
- Lentil and Kale Soup – a reader favorite!
- Tomato Tortellini Soup with zucchini and spinach – a hearty, filling, winter soup.
- Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Soup – a simple, flavorful soup using roasted carrots and parsnips.
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If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please come back and leave a comment and rating. I’d love to hear from you!
PrintRed Lentil and Vegetable Soup
Red lentil and vegetable soup is a healthy, vegan soup that’s easy to make and loaded with vegetables. It’s a flavor packed soup perfect for cold chilly nights.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 small onion – diced
- 1 cup of thinly sliced carrots
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 3 packed cups of chopped kale – I used pre-chopped kale
- 2 cloves of garlic – minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup red lentils – sorted to remove any debris
- 3 cups vegetable stock – low sodium
- 2 cups water
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Sauté the onion in oil over low heat for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add celery, carrots and garlic to the onions and stir to combine.
- Add kale, 1 cup at a time, until it’s wilted.
- Sauté the vegetable mixture for 5 minutes.
- Before adding the lentils to the soup, check for any debris and rinse throughly in a sieve under running water.
- Add lentils, tomato sauce and spices.
- Add vegetable stock and water.
- Bring to a boil and turn down to simmer for 35 minutes.
- Stir occasionally while the soup cooks.
- When the soup is done, add two tablespoons of lemon and stir to combine.
- Use a hand blender to puree the soup to the desired consistency. I pureed about half of the soup.
- Makes 4 large bowls or 6 cups of soup.
Notes
You’ll be adding 3 cups of kale, which is a lot of kale. The best way to do this is to add one cup of kale at a time, stirring until it reduces/wilts. Then repeat for the two remaining cups of kale.
Make sure to check your lentils for any debris – spread out on a rimmed baking sheet and remove anything that is not a lentil.
Make sure to rinse the lentils before you add them to the pot – lentils can be dusty.
Time savers: I used pre-chopped kale that I bought at the supermarket. I also used baby carrots – so I didn’t need to peel the carrots – just sliced them thinly.
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, come back and leave a message and a rating. I’d love to hear from you!
This recipe serves 4 bowls or 6 cups of soup.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on an online nutritional calculator.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 of 4
- Calories: 326
- Sugar: 5.3g
- Sodium: 617mg
- Fat: 5.8g
- Saturated Fat: 2.1g
- Carbohydrates: 35.8g
- Fiber: 16.6g
- Protein: 13.6g
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: #lentilsoup #vegansoup
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