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!
Really good, but any tips on how to reduce the smelly gas that arises the next day?
Hmm, no, unfortunately I don’t think there is a way to avoid that.
This smells and tastes so good. Unfortunately I was out of black beans and tomatoes and the hubby hates celery so I left those out. I did have some medium salsa on hand so I just used that instead of the tomatoes and decided to add some frozen spinach towards the end of cooking. Big hit and it only cost me $3.50 for the entire batch. Will definitely be making again
Loved this soup. My only challenge was by the time the lentils were cooked, it wasn’t a soup anymore. Too little liquid. So I added another 2 cups of broth and 1/2 cup of tomatoes and adjusted the spices. Now it’s perfect!
This is the only soup I can make from scratch successfully. Make it all the time with whatever beans and vegetables I have on hand. The kids love it. Thank you so much!
First time making this it smells sooooo good I didn’t wait for it to cool down I burnt myself… totally worth it very yummy! I poured this on top of rice and holy cow! Delicious will definitely be using this recipe again!
I have been making this soup for years now! It’s something I crave every fall! Thanks for the great recipe! I’ve recommended it so many times!
All of your recipes are great, but even I was surprised by how delicious this soup was! Holy cow!!!
Yummmmm!! I found myself making this twice a week, I love it! Thank you!
Looks great. Will skip the olive oil, broth, and salt and use plain water since I’m whole food plant based but the spices look amazing for this. Thanks!
I use epicure vegetable broth mix with water.. DELICIOUS
almost no salt..
Great soup and very easy to make. The cayenne adds just the right amount of heat. This is now the go-to lentil soup for my vegetarian diet! Looking forward to trying some of your other vegetarian recipes.
I absolutely LOVE this soup, it has become one my staples and i make it every week! However, i also live in a family of carnivores that loves to complain there’s no meat in it, so last time i made it i added half a pound of ground pork (cooked it in a skilled then drained it, and added during the sautéing of the carrots and celery). And i just wanted to share that it was actually quite the hit! It was so good even compared to the normal version of the soup!
Also, half the time i don’t even bother heating up my leftovers! This soup is so good straight out of the fridge!
So glad you’re loving it! You should definitely try my Lentil and Sausage Stew, as well. It’s very similar to this one, but has meat. :)
Cheap, healthy, vegan, gluten free and sooo yummy! :)
This soup is so good! I cooked it in the evening for tomorrow’s lunch, guess I’ll have to make a new batch.
I didn’t add any salt (except for the vegetable broth which probably had some). And I let the lentils soak in water for a few hours first.
I can’t tell you how many times I have burnt my mouth on this recipe. Every time I make it, I say to myself “Wait until it’s cool before you start eating it!” but apparently I don’t have that much willpower.
LOL! I’m right there with you, Dan!
Thank you! Made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious. Added the sour cream too. Mmmm.