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!
I love this soup! It’s easy, quick and SO yummy! I don’t care for celery, so I just double the carrots. Also, when serving, I add just a tiny drizzle of sesame oil on top of each serving. Wow! It’s perfect.
Hi Beth! I wanted to make this in a slow cooker… do you think there is anything that would be different? And would you recommend doing step 1 in a pan on the stove then doing the rest in the crock pot?
You know, I’ve never cooked lentils in the slow cooker, so I’m not sure how they’d hold up. You could probably do it all in the slow cooker, but making sure to add extra moisture for the dry lentils. It’s hard to say without having tried it, though.
I’m allergic to tomatoes and would like to know what to compensate it with
I think I would just leave it out, but add a little extra broth. Maybe 1/2 to 1 cup.
Muy bien! I accidentally put in 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper like a dummy, but it still tasted amazing! Love this soup…so easy!
Hey Beth! I love this recipe, I don’t follow it all but as a new cook I’ve been using it as a guide. I add potatoes, chickpeas, red beans, spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers instead of celery. I eat with pasta, rice, bread, tortilla wrap or chips. Lasts me about 2 weeks.
You’re the best Beth! I bailed out on the original soup recipe I had planned for tonight, this one sounded much better, so I’m making this instead.
This is fantastic! I added an additional 4 cups of vegetable broth to make it a bit soupier after cooking down. I also added a large amount of kale at the end to just wilt into the soup-yummy. It’s only 4 PP per serving on Weight Watchers-great to have on hand for a quick and healthy meal.
This was surprisingly delicious. We added a chopped zucchini and some mushrooms, and sprinkled Parmesan cheese just before serving.
So my eyes wonked out on me and I read “1 lb” instead of “1 cup of lentils.” Oops.
Don’t worry! All the lentils cooked fine. It tastes great, just a little (a lot) less soupy. And I need new prescriptions.
This soup is easy and delicious. I added some pumpkin with the black beans and a bit of extra water. The pumpkin breaks down and dads some sweetness to the broth. I also added the kernels from a cob of corn about 5 minutes before the end. It added some crunch and texture, which I really liked. Also chucked in a bay leaf. YUM!
Tried this last week because I’m trying to not lose every paycheque I have to the restaurants around me, and not only was it amazing day one, but day 7 leftovers extricated from my freezer had thickened to the point where I could use them for quesadilla fillings.
I’m in heaven, and have a new-found love for lentils.
Recipe was the trifecta: delicious, inexpensive, and easy to make. Any idea what the calorie count on a 10oz serving? I’m curious as I’m currently on a diet. (not that I think this would be high in calories).
I have no idea how many ounces each of my servings is, but I entered the recipe into myfitnesspal and if it’s broken into 5 servings (I honestly usually get more), they’re about 314 calories a piece. Depending on the brand of broth you use, you may get slightly more or less. I used Trader Joe’s low sodium vegetable broth.
How? No seriously. How do you do it? This is so simple and so tasty. I subbed WILD rice instead because trader joe’s doesn’t have dried brown lentils (???). So i was like EH wild rice is similar right? And it totally was. I love this website!
Hi beth tried this and loved it, I had red lentils on hand so used them instead. I also added leek.
I hate celery so was wondering what is a good substitute for that or what other green veg would you recommend?
Well, I don’t think anything would really be a good “substitute” for the celery because its flavor is quite unique, but if you want more green I think spinach would be awesome in this (just toss in some frozen spinach) or maybe even some zucchini. :)
I made this tonight for dinner, and I used canned lentils, because it’s what I had on hand. I also added linguica for heat, and skipped the cayenne. It was delicious! Thank you for another fantastic recipe!
I agree – EXCELLENT recipe. Since making it, I use the spice mixture in a lot of soups I make. (Sometimes substituting garlic powder for the fresh garlic.)
Where did you get canned lentils? I really like lentils, but there are times when I’m pressed for time and canned ones would be better.
Linguiça sounds delicious by the way, but unfortunately not available in my very rural area of the US.
This smells so good! I made a double batch and it made quite a bit. Can I freeze some of it for another time? I am not much of a freezer, so I need some guidance. Thanks! Love your recipes.
Yep, this one should freeze very well. I would suggest freezing in single serving sized containers so it’s really easy to reheat just the amount that you need when you want it (plus it freezes faster). I like to use those little square plastic Ziploc (or Gladware) containers with the blue lid. They can go straight from the freezer to the microwave for reheating.