I’m so all about the hearty soups and stews this time of year and I’ve been kind of obsessed lately with using coconut to make savory soups and stews creamy. This Creamy Lentil and Vegetable Soup started out as a lentil mushroom soup, but then I decided to toss in the extra veggies I had in my fridge. The end result was a super cozy bowl full of colors, flavors, and textures that made all of my Autumn cottage-core dreams come true. 🥰
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What Kind oF lentils to Use
I used quick-cooking brown (or green, depending on where you are) lentils for this recipe. If you’re unsure of the type of lentil you have, check the cooking instructions on the package. You’ll want a variety that cooks with about 20 minutes of simmering with no soaking required.
I don’t suggest using red or yellow lentils for this recipe because they break down very quickly when cooked and you’ll end up with a texture closer to mashed potatoes than soup in the end.
Coconut Alternatives
I used full-fat coconut milk (the kind in a can, not the kind meant for use as a dairy milk alternative) for this soup because it’s an easy way to make soups ultra-rich and creamy without using dairy. If you’re not trying to avoid dairy you can simply use a splash or two of heavy cream. OR, if you want to make this a simply brothy soup, just skip the cream all together!
What to Serve with Creamy Lentil Vegetable Soup
This creamy, cozy soup is just begging for some good bread for dipping. Whip up a batch of some homemade no-knead bread or soda bread and you’ll be in heaven.
How to Store
To store this soup, first divide it into single-serving portions to facilitate quicker cooling. Store the soup in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, or once chilled, transfer to the freezer for longer storage (up to three months). You can reheat the soup in the microwave or in a sauce pot over medium-low heat, stirring often.
Creamy Lentil Vegetable Soup
Servings 4 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 16 oz. mushrooms ($3.98)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
- 3 carrots ($0.57)
- 3 ribs celery ($0.55)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.37)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp rubbed sage ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary ($0.05)
- 1 cup brown lentils ($0.61)
- 3 cups vegetable broth ($0.39)
- 1 13.5oz. can full-fat coconut milk ($2.29)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp pepper ($0.02)
Instructions
- Rinse the mushrooms to remove any dirt or debris, then slice them into thick slices.
- Add the mushrooms to a large soup pot or Dutch oven along with the cooking oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until the mushrooms have released all of their water and it has evaporated out of the pot.
- Meanwhile, dice the carrots, celery, and onion, and mince the garlic. Add the carrot, celery, onion, and garlic to the soup pot along with the thyme, sage, and rosemary. Continue to sauté the vegetables until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the lentils and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir to combine, then place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to high. Allow the soup to come to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
- Once the lentils are tender, add the coconut milk, stir to combine, and let it simmer for another five minutes.
- Finally, taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste. We used about ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Enjoy the soup hot with bread for dipping!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Nutrition
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How to Make Creamy Lentil Vegetable Soup – Step by Step Photos
Rinse 16oz. mushrooms to remove any dirt or debris, then cut them into thick slices. Add the sliced mushrooms to a large soup pot along with 2 Tbsp cooking oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until they’ve released all of their water and the water has evaporated from the bottom of the pot.
While the mushrooms are sautéing, dice three carrots, dice three ribs of celery, dice one yellow onion, and mince two cloves of garlic. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic to the pot along with ½ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp rubbed sage, and ½ tsp rosemary.
Continue to sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add one cup of uncooked brown lentils to the pot along with three cups of vegetable broth. Stir to combine.
Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to high to bring the soup up to a boil, then immediately turn the heat down to medium-low. Let the soup simmer over medium-low for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
Add one 13.5oz. can of full-fat coconut milk to the soup and stir to combine. Let the soup simmer for an additional five minutes.
Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste. Remember, adding a bit of salt helps amplify the flavors in the soup. I added about ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper.
Serve your delicious creamy lentil vegetable soup hot with some hearty bread for dipping!
Really delicious soup. Will definitely be putting this into my regular rotation! Thanks!
I like to use frozen chopped onions instead of fresh. It saves time and the price seems pretty comparable to fresh onions. $1.99 for a 12 ounce bag at my grocery store. Also since I’m not a huge onion fan, I can choose how much I want to put in a dish without worrying about any remaining part going bad. I use what I want and put the rest back in the freezer. Just putting this out there because it’s something I wish I knew about sooner.
I also hate the step of cutting onions! If you’re wanting to be even more budget conscious, I chop my onions in bulk using a food processor, then freeze them on a piece of parchment paper on a tray in the freezer. then once they’re frozen I transfer them to a ziploc bag and keep it in the freezer!