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.

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

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

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 30

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