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!
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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
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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 is so yummy, so healthy, and so inexpensive. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Beth, love your recipes! Soo many of your recipes have made it into my weeky rotation. Made this tonight and the only addition I made was a few bay leaves and some chopped kale. It was yummy. Thank you for sharing. :)
hey Beth :)
I love your blog, and was very happy to find so many vegetarian recipes!
a question- if I use potatoes and zucchini instead of carrots (or in addition), should I add the lentils and beans a bit later so they wont over cook and become a mush? how long should i wait?
thank you!
I think if you cut the potatoes into about 1 inch cubes, they should easily cook in the amount of time that the lentils take to cook, so no extra time will be needed. :) And zucchini cooks super fast, so that won’t be a problem either. The lentils do break down a bit, but that helps thicken the soup a little.
Hi,
I made this soup for the first time and it came out really salty. I’m wondering if I accidentally used too much Better Than Bouillon. Do you have any tips for using it (specifically ratios when using it instead of traditional broth)? The label on the jar wasn’t much help. Thanks!
It sounds like you might have used too much. I use it exactly as the label suggests, though, one teaspoon + one cup of water = one cup broth. Perhaps you used the wrong measuring spoon? (we’ve all done it at one point or another!)
We looooove this recipe. I cooked per the instructions and it was gone in two days. I made a triple batch this week, my husband says it’s the best thing I make! So thank you! I have been eating it with a piece of baked yam and it’s delicious, something about the sweet and spicy flavors just tastes great.
I’m so glad I’ve found your website. I think you might have broken my “soup curse” of always hating what I make if it’s soup.
I left out the paprika and cayenne, and the baby loved it too.
This is such a nice soup to enjoy on a winter day. I served this with savory cheddar & green onion scones. Really nice. Thanks! =)
Holy cow, this was tasty. My husband and I don’t mind spicy, so instead of regular petite diced tomatoes I used a can of diced tomatoes with jalapenos. I also used your chili seasoning we still had on hand from a few months ago, and substituted peas for the celery. I used green lentils, and they did fine in the slow cooker overnight (8-hour setting). It smelled so good in the morning that my husband and I woke up ready to eat it for breakfast!
P.S. I usually wouldn’t do this, but I bought Frito’s Scoops to serve on the side with this soup, and they were the perfect complement.
Anyone know the nutritional facts on this recipe?
Added it all up in MyFitnessPal and for 8 servings, it’s around 106 calories each serving.
I made this for dinner, my toddler kept telling me how “yummy” it was. I think this is going on our regular dinners list.
This soup is just fantastic ! I have never liked lentils to the point if anything had it I would steer clear. I convinced myself I needed to try them again..and I am so happy I did. This soup is so easy , hearty and has that really rustic flavor I love. I added a few bay leaves to simmer as well which released great extra flavor.
I used the Organic Better than Bouillon Vegetable base also and found it works the best. Great recipe again !!
I just started following you, and love everything I have read so far. This was the first recipe of yours I made, and it is stellar! I was pinched for time yesterday (and had to leave the house), so I threw everything in the crockpot and reduced the liquid a bit accordingly. Not ideal to forgo sauteeing the vegetables, but honestly, it tastes delicious and was super easy to make, and fit within my time constraints. A real winner, especially because I had all the ingredients on hand already.
I’m eating it at work for lunch, but for tonight’s dinner, I will bake a loaf of bread to go with it, and I think that will make it even more delicious (I threw together Artisan Bread in 5 “broa” dough this morning).
Thanks a bunch!
This soup is perfect. Full of flavor, healthy, and easy to make. Thank you so much.
Just made this today to eat for lunch all week. It was probably the easiest and most flavorful soup recipe I’ve made. Followed it to a “T.” Though my hubby isn’t usually up for vegetarian recipes, this is definitely one I could get him to eat.
Oh my goodness, this was sooo goood! Made it this evening and I am loving it! We’re trying to actually cook our meals instead of relying on the frozen ones or the pre-made salads (so expensive and so not good for you) and this was a hit! Thank you so much!