OMG… This Chunky Lentil and Vegetable Soup is my new all-time favorite soup! I’ve already eaten two bowls since I made it today at lunch and I don’t think I’ll even need to freeze any because it will be gone fast. This super flavorful and hearty soup is a vegetarian take on the old classic, Lentil & Sausage Stew, from way back in 2010. I replaced the sausage with black beans, added some tomatoes for brightness, and nixed the spinach. The black beans help make everything thick and creamy and the blend of herbs and spices just can’t be beat. It’s soooo good. So many colors, flavors, and textures in one bowl, and super cheap, too!
The best part? I already had most of the ingredients on hand, so when I went to pick up the remaining items my total bill was about $3. It pays to shop in your pantry before you shop in the store!
What Kind of Lentils to Use
I used a quick cooking brown lentil for this recipe. These lentils are also sometimes called green lentils, depending on the brand, but they are not the same as French green lentils, which take much longer to cook. The lentils used in this recipe only need to be simmered for about 20 minutes to become tender and do not require pre-soaking.
I do not suggest using red or yellow lentils for this recipe because they do not hold their shape and will become mushy once boiled, resulting in a soup more similar in texture to split pea soup.
What Else Can I Add?
I love the flexibility of soup. If you want to add a little extra green to your soup, feel free to add some chopped fresh spinach or frozen spinach, and just stir it in until wilted and heated through. I love to top my lentil and vegetable soup with a dollop of sour cream or a pinch of cheese! If you like things spicy, feel free to add a diced jalapeño or a couple dashes of hot sauce.
How to Store the Leftovers
This recipe makes a HUGE batch, but thankfully the leftovers taste great! I like to divide my soup into single serving portions right after cooking to facilitate faster cooling, and to make the leftovers really easy to grab-n-go (and reheat). This soup also freezes great, so once it’s completely chilled in the refrigerator you can transfer it to the freezer for long-term storage (about three months).
Chunky Lentil and Vegetable Soup
Servings 8 1.25 cups eachIngredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.50)
- ½ lb. carrots (3-4 carrots) ($0.55)
- 3 ribs celery ($0.80)
- 1 15oz. can black beans ($0.89)
- 1 cup brown lentils ($0.31)
- 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.10)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- Freshly ground black pepper ($0.05)
- 1 15oz. can petite diced tomatoes ($0.85)
- 4 cups vegetable broth* ($0.52)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
Instructions
- Mince the garlic and dice the onion. Sauté both in a large pot with olive oil over medium heat until the onions are tender. Meanwhile, slice the celery and peel and slice the carrots. Add the celery and carrots to the pot and continue to sauté for about 5 minutes more.
- Drain the can of black beans and add it to the pot along with the diced tomatoes (with juices), dry lentils, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and some freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill). Finally, add the vegetable broth, and stir to combine.
- Increase the heat to medium high and allow the pot to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low, place a lid on top, and let it simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, test the lentils to make sure they are tender. If not, continue to simmer until they are tender.**
- Taste the soup and add salt as needed (I added 1/2 tsp). Serve hot.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
A little dollop of sour cream is SO GOOD on this Chunky Lentil and Vegetable Soup.
How to Make Vegetable and Lentil Soup – Step by Step Photos
Mince two cloves of garlic and dice one onion. Sauté both in a large pot with 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat until the onions have softened.
While the garlic and onion are cooking, clean and slice 1/2 lb. (3-4 medium) carrots and 3 ribs celery. Add them to the pot and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes.
Most of my soups start with 1/2 lb. of carrots and 3-4 ribs of celery, so instead of just letting the other half of each go limp in the fridge, I go ahead and slice them up then freeze them for the next soup.
Once the carrots and celery have cooked a few minutes, add 1 cup dry brown lentils, one 15 oz. can black beans (drained), one 15oz. can diced tomatoes (with juices), 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, and some freshly ground black pepper (about 10-15 cranks of a pepper mill). Stir to combine.
And 4 cups of vegetable broth. Stir well. Increase the heat to medium-high and let it come up to a boil. When it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low, place a lid on top, and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, test the lentils to make sure they are tender. If you have green or French lentils, they may need to simmer for 45 minutes or so to fully soften. Also taste the soup and add salt if desired (I added 1/2 tsp of salt). Now it’s ready to serve!
This recipe is great! I love the blend of spices in this soup. I had a sweet potato that was on its last legs and added it to the soup as well. I served it with a dollop of greek yogurt on top and some crusty bread. I imagine this recipe could be a great way to use up many different veggies you might have lying around. Will definitely be making again!
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
Probably, although I’ve never tried it.
How about a toaster?
Ha! :)
Thanks for the tasty and affordable recipe! I bulked this up with 3 medium sweet potatoes and portioned it out for my lunches this week. It’s so good and it was so simple to throw together. Very happy :)
So- sorry if this is a repeat question. Pressure cooker? Can you just pressure cook this whole thing into an amazing yumminess? I’ve never cooked with a pressure cooker- any tips?
I haven’t tried it, but I bet you could! It should cook very quickly since both vegetables and lentils (depending on which type you use) cook fairly quickly even on the stove top.
I made this last night, using half the amount of cayenne (my mother does not like spicy food). So filling and delicious. With three generations living together, everyone adds their own twist at the table. My mom added crackers and sour cream, my son and daughter cheese and my husband red pepper flakes. I served it with rolls and fresh fruit. My meat eaters did not complain and everyone liked it. Budget bites has become my “go to” for new recipes that are healthy, affordable and not too complicated.
This is a staple in our house, and it has been for a while. A friend of mine tried it and has used it in his catering business, too. Even my mother, who hates soup (who hates soup?!?!) really enjoys this recipe!!
Today, when I made a pot of this, my head wasn’t in my cooking, and after it was too late, I realized I had added a teaspoon of chili powder, thinking it was smoked paprika. And then I added a whole teaspoon of smoked paprika, because again I wasn’t looking or thinking (recipe calls for half a teaspoon of that).
I’m writing to you to tell you that if you add a teaspoon of chili powder, this is still really good soup.
So let’s call it an “alternative” version of this soup.
:)Thanks for your consistently good recipes. My husband and I are especially grateful for the numerous ones you post without meat.
Great tasting- super quick mid-week meal. I added fresh spinach and a smoked turkey kielbasa (feeding a teenage boy).
Ive made this a few times now and we love it! I made a few changes, i added ground spicy italian sausage and sliced spicy italian sausage. Both cooked then dumped into the pot as its simmering.
I just made this, and it is awesome. I am not usually a soup person, but LOVE this.
First off, thank you for the excellent website!
Secondly, can I just say “nom, nom, nom”?! I made this almost exactly per the recipe. Used Wyler’s Chicken granules (3 tsp for 4 cups broth) and regular instead of smoked paprika (because that’s what I had). I was worried about the cayenne, so stared with 1/8 tsp, but ended up adding the full 1/4 tsp – glad I did! Just enough kick. Topped it off with a little shredded pepper jack cheese. Can’t wait to have it for lunch tomorrow as well.
I ran this through the calculator on caloriecount.com as 8 servings and got the following:
total calories = 200 (fat calories = 38)
Total fat 4.2g (Sat fat 0.6g)
sodium 321mg, potassium 734mg
Total carbs 31.3g (fiber 11.7g, sugars 4.3g)
Protein 10.7g
Vit A 107% (!), calcium 6%, Vit C 19%, Iron 18%.
Heading back now for my second bowl :)
Forgot to add, I omitted the extra salt. It was plenty salty for my taste. Also forgot to rate – doh!
I don’t know how to cook but I tried this recipe at my neighbor’s house for fun to cook for 3 other people and it turned out really well. They loved it and I liked it too and I took the leftover home for another person and they liked it as well. It has a lot of ingredients but its a really good recipe.
Just made this and cannot praise it enough!! Sooo flavorful with wonderful texture. I just added a little extra cayenne and used green lentils instead of brown. I will definitely be making this quick, cheap, and heavenly soup again. Thank you!
This recipe is so wonderful and amazing, I had to stop myself from over eating because its so tasty I will just down the whole thing! We added a tad more salt and pepper before serving, tottaly making this every week
Excellent recipe that’s deliciously warming. Thanks again Beth! I wanted a bit of meat in mine and subbed the black beans for Albondigas (Mexican Meatballs) formed into bite-size balls that I pan-seared on each side before letting them cook the rest of the way in the soup. Somewhat more effort, but so worth it.
PS. If anyone in Asia has trouble finding the lentils mentioned, Toor Dal (Split pigeon pea) is an excellent substitute that cooks in more or less the same amount of time as the recipe states.
This soup is just amazing! It is the perfect mix of ingredients. I have tried tinkering with the measurements, but each time I think “Nope, the original recipe is perfect!”