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!
Love this soup so much. As a vegetarian it’s a regular dinner favorite. Makes delicious leftovers for lunch the next day- so much so my husband’s coworker once offered to pay me to make extra for him! Cooks perfectly in the Instapot for a stress-free quick meal.
Steph..just got an Instant Pot for Christmas. Thinking this would work very well in the IP. How long did you cook and then release?
Thank you..Kathy Sims
omg. I added all my left overs in my fridge and pantry. Zucchini, red lentils, carrots, onion, cannelli beans. Saved me a grocery trip and it was freaking delicious! Thank you so much Beth for saving me during this pandemic.
I have been making this recipe for years! It is probably my FAVORITE meal prep dish, and it tastes amazing days and days later. I have added potatoes at times, serranos at times, squash etc… But it always turns out perfect. Today I decided to try it in my instant pot, I have avoided my oven and stove for months, using an indoor grill that air fry’s, bakes and grills. With my pressure cooker, I have had no reason to turn the oven on. It turned out perfect! I sauteed the onion and garlic, next the carrots and celery, added everything, put an additional 2 cups of broth, I LOVE it soupy sometimes, and pressure cooked on high for 20 minutes. Then natural released for 5 minutes and VOILA! Almost perfect. Lentils were a touch overcooked. Next time, 10 minutes pressure cooking and I bet it will be perfect. Yummy! A week of soup, and we have cold weather coming.
I’ve made this soup at least 20 times over the past 5 years or so, and it’s a winner! Hearty, flavorful, and satisfying–one of my all-time favorite soup recipes.
I just made this for dinner. Oh so good!! Wonderful flavors. This will definitely be a “make it again soup”. This was so easy and quick to make. Pretty much everything on the ingredient list I have on hand most days. I also used the “Better Than Bullion” instead of store bought stock. This is a definite winner.
I’ve made this soup a handful of times since I discovered it in January, and am about to make it again today! It is super easy, affordable, and tasty!! who knew lentils could taste this good?! my husband who has never been a fan of lentils loves this soup. It freezes very well so I tend make extra to have on hand. My favorite accompaniments are avocado slices, basket cheese, and toasted French bread with butter! thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Hi Nadine! Would you please be so kind as to tell me what basket cheese is? It intrigued me as I was reading the comments today.
Thanks, & greetings from Alberta, Canada 🇨🇦, where it is -6°C now. And we got 10cm/4″ of SNOW last night 😪
I love this recipe. I’ve made it a bunch, and I like to add spinach and kielbasa to it. I leave out the cayenne pepper bc my two year old doesn’t like spice, and just add some hot sauce to my own bowl! So good!!
I made this in my instant pot. I did not sautee the onion or garlic. I just dumped all the ingredients in and added 1.5 cups of broth to what was already called for. I used the high setting for 20 min and then slow release the steam for ten minutes followed by a quick release. Turned out perfect! Added the spinach after it was done cooking.
Never knew lentil soup could taste this good! The addition of black beans and tomatoes really set this lentil soup apart from others! Everyone loved it so much that they took my leftovers! This was budget friendly and absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to remake!
I’m excited to be making this for the first time today and haven’t looked through the comments. Has anyone tried the instant pot? Just curious about setting and time. Thanks!
We haven’t tried it in the Instant Pot Hayley, doesn’t look like any commenters have either. Let us know if you gave it a shot!
I’m obsessed with this soup! It’s delicious and super versatile. I like to have it on top of wild rice for a hearty dinner, or with avocado and cilantro (cilantro is key).
Breakfast soup…ohhh yea! Do an egg, avocado and cilantro on top and it’s equally delicious. I adore this recipe and it’s my go to when rent is due and I need to live on soup for a few days :) thank you!!
Love the idea of breakfast soup!
Can you add potatoes?
Sure, potatoes would probably be very nice in this.
I tried this with Russet potatoes and they were good, but a little too grainy in texture. I would recommend a different, more smooth textured potato
Try it with red potatoes! They tend to do best in soups, in my opinion. They hold up a bit better and stay firmer rather than being super mushy.
This is one of my go-to soups nowadays. I love the flavor you created here – and so does my toddler!
Tried it, and love it! I left out the cayenne pepper. This soup will be great for my work lunches this week. Yummy, and healthy! Thank you!
Love this soup so much! Any chance you have the nutritional info for it??