Lentil and Vegetable Soup (Printer-Friendly)

Protein-rich lentils simmered with seasonal vegetables and aromatic spices for a comforting, nourishing meal.

# What You Need:

→ Lentils

01 - 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 medium onion, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 carrots, peeled and diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
08 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
09 - 1 cup diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
10 - 4 cups vegetable broth
11 - 2 cups water
12 - 2 cups fresh spinach or kale, chopped

→ Seasonings

13 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
14 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
15 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
16 - 1 bay leaf
17 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
18 - ½ teaspoon black pepper

→ Optional Garnishes

19 - Chopped fresh parsley
20 - Lemon wedges

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened.
02 - Add carrots, celery, zucchini, and red bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
03 - Stir in cumin, thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add rinsed lentils, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, water, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
05 - Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes, or until lentils and vegetables are tender.
06 - Stir in spinach or kale; cook 2–3 minutes until wilted. Remove bay leaf.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot, garnished with parsley and a squeeze of lemon if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Its one of those rare meals that tastes even better the next day, making it perfect for batch cooking
  • The combination of smoked paprika and cumin creates this incredible depth that makes people think you simmered it for hours
02 -
  • I once forgot to rinse my lentils and ended up with tiny pebbles in my soup, so please always rinse them in a fine mesh sieve before cooking
  • The soup will thicken considerably as it sits, which I actually prefer, but you can always thin it with a splash of water or broth when reheating
03 -
  • If you want a creamier texture without adding dairy, you can transfer about 1 cup of the soup to a blender and puree it before stirring it back in
  • The smoked paprika is absolutely worth seeking out because it adds an incredible smoky depth that regular paprika simply cant provide
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