Lentil and Vegetable Soup (Printable Version)

A nourishing bowl featuring tender lentils and roasted vegetables in a fragrant broth, ready in one hour.

# What You'll Need:

→ Lentils

01 - 1 cup dried green or brown lentils, rinsed

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
03 - 2 celery stalks, diced
04 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Broth & Seasoning

10 - 6 cups vegetable broth
11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Finishing

16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
17 - Juice of ½ lemon

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F.
02 - Toss carrots, celery, zucchini, bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, until lightly caramelized.
03 - Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Stir in the rinsed lentils, roasted vegetables, vegetable broth, thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
05 - Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice as desired. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The roasted vegetables bring this incredible sweetness that you never get from just simmering everything together
  • Its one of those rare soups that actually tastes better the next day, so make a big batch
02 -
  • I forgot to rinse my lentils once and ended up with gritty bits throughout the entire pot. Give them a quick rinse under cold water first.
  • The roasting step adds 20 minutes but it is absolutely the difference between a good soup and one people request repeatedly.
03 -
  • If you want extra protein, stir in a can of drained chickpeas during the last 10 minutes of simmering
  • A splash of balsamic vinegar right at the end adds a lovely depth that surprises people
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