Quick Vegetable Soup with Lentils

close up of vegetable lentil soup in a bowl on a wooden table

This soup is simple and easy and can be made while multitasking. Chop up vegetables, put them in a pot with some water and a few handfuls of red lentils and tomatoes, and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes. This makes a batch of soup that's perfect for lunches. Versatile, nutrient-dense, and comforting--this soup is a winner. Double the recipe if you want soup for the whole week.

Print Pin

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 30

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: adaptable, batch cooking, comfort, healthy, high fiber, vegetables, versatile

Servings:

Calories: 235kcal

Author: juiceofsevenlemons

Ingredients

1/2 cup onion diced
1/4 cup carrot diced
1/4 cup celery diced
1/2 tablespoon garlic sliced or minced
1/4 cup green beans diced
2 tomatoes diced
1/2 cup red lentils
4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme
1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons parsley chopped
parmesan cheese for topping
extra virgin olive oil for topping

Instructions

Chop your vegetables and add to a medium saucepan.
Top the vegetables with a few cups of water.
Add a few handfuls of red lentils.
Add salt, pepper, and seasonings including thyme (wait to top with parsley at the end)
Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
Remove from the heat, taste for seasoning, squeeze half a lemon into the broth, and stir in the chopped parsley.
Ladle into a bowl and serve warm topped with more parsley, parmesan, and olive oil.

Notes

Portions: This makes two large bowls of soup or four small cups. I love to make this soup at the beginning of the week and eat it for lunch daily—either on its own with a slice of sourdough bread or a sandwich. Double the recipe if you want to eat more than one cup of soup a day for the week or are serving more people.
Toppings: The extra virgin olive oil and parmesan add depth of flavor to the soup and round out the flavors. Without the oil and cheese, the soup lacks fat. I feel it needs them to add some unctuousness.
Additions: I like to add greens to the soup later in the week as a nutrient and flavor boost. You could also add greens to the original soup.
Lentil Type: I like to use red lentils because they cook quickly, break down and somewhat disappear into the background of the soup while providing a nice soft texture. You could use another type of lentil but it will take slightly longer to cook and add more chew to your bite.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!