There’s nothing quite as comforting as a pot of soup simmering away on the stove top when it’s cold and wintry outside. The smell alone warms me from the inside out. This week I was craving a simple vegetable forward soup, so I whipped up this really easy Tomato Lentil Soup. I’ve been enjoying the leftovers for days, sometimes with a grilled cheese on the side. :)
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What Does Tomato Lentil Soup Taste Like?
This soup kind of tastes like a traditional vegetable soup, but with a slightly more tomato-y broth, plus a little earthiness from the lentils. It’s super hearty and comforting, which is exactly what I love about a good bowl of soup in the winter!
What Kind of Lentils Should I Use?
Lentils can be confusing, especially since there isn’t a lot of consistency in labeling in the United States. I used a basic brown lentil, which has a drab brown-olive color and cooks with about 20 minutes of simmering. Sometimes these lentils are labeled “green lentils” sometimes just “lentils” so to be sure you have the right kind, check the cooking instructions on the package. It should say to simmer for about 20 minutes, not 45 minutes.
I do not suggest using a red, orange, or yellow lentil for this soup because they break down too easily and you’ll end up with something more along the lines of a lentil porridge than a lentil soup. :) (It would probably still taste good, though!)
How are the Leftovers?
One of the reasons I love soup is because they almost always make great leftovers, and this soup is no exception. The leftovers will stay good in the fridge for about 4-5 days, or you can freeze it for longer storage. I always suggest dividing the soup into single portions just after cooking so it cools down more quickly in the refrigerator, which will give you more longevity with the leftovers. Once cooled you can transfer some to the freezer for later!
Tomato Lentil Soup
Servings 6 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 3 carrots ($0.42)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 russet potato (about 1 lb.) ($0.60)
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste ($0.10)
- 2 15oz. cans stewed tomatoes ($1.18)
- 1 cup brown lentils ($0.67)
- ½ tsp paprika ($0.10)
- ½ tsp dried basil ($0.10)
- ½ tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.03)
- 4 cups vegetable broth ($0.52)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.12)
Instructions
- Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and slice the carrots (I like smaller pieces for this recipe, so I do a quarter round slice). Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and olive oil to a large soup pot and sauté over medium heat until the oniosn are soft. While the vegetables are cooking, peel and dice the potato into ½-inch cubes.
- Add the tomato paste and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until the tomato paste begins to coat the bottom of the pot.
- Add the cubed potato, stewed tomatoes (with juices), lentils, paprika, basil, oregano, pepper, and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Place a lid on top and allow the soup to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let the soup simmer for about 40 minutes or until the lentils are super tender and have begun to break down slightly (this helps thicken the soup).
- Add the soy sauce to the soup, then give it a taste and adjust the salt if needed (the total amount will depend on the salt content of your vegetable broth). Serve hot with crusty bread for dipping.
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Equipment
- Dutch Oven
- Chef’s Knife
- White Cutting Boards
Nutrition
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How to Make Tomato Lentil Soup – Step by Step Photos
Dice one onion, mince two cloves of garlic, and slice three carrots. I like to do smaller pieces of carrot for this soup, so I cut the slices into quarter rounds. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic to a large soup pot with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Sauté over medium until the onions are soft. While the carrot and onion are sautéing, peel and dice one russet potato into ½-inch cubes.
Add 2 Tbsp tomato paste and continue to sauté for a few more minutes, or until the tomato paste begins to coat the bottom of the pot.
Add the cubed potato, two 15oz. cans of stewed tomatoes (with juices), 1 cup lentils (not cooked), ½ tsp paprika, ½ tsp dried basil, ½ tsp dried oregano, ¼ tsp pepper, and 4 cups vegetable broth.
Stir everything to combine. Place a lid on top and bring the soup up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until the lentils are very soft and have begun to break down a bit.
After simmering the soup, stir in 2 Tbsp soy sauce. Taste the soup and adjust the salt if needed (this will depend on the salt content of your broth. I did not add any in addition to the soy sauce).
Serve hot with some crusty bread for dipping! (I garnished with a little parsley for color, but it’s not needed to flavor this soup.)
Would love to make this for Christmas Eve. Can it be made on a crockpot?
I think you should be able to! I would set it on high for four hours (or low for 8 hours).
Really tasty! The flavor reminded me of a vegetable beef soup my mom made when I was a kid. I don’t eat beef anymore, so I’m happy to have a vegetarian soup that reminds me of it.
This recipe was my first attempt at using stewed tomatoes. My wife doesn’t love chunky tomatoes, so I used kitchen shears at the end to make the remaining big chunks a bit smaller.
I have a silly question but, do the stewed tomatoes break down as the soup simmers? They are whole when you put them in and there’s no directions for chopping them up. It’s in the stove now so I’m wondering if I’m missing something
Yes, they’ll break down! You’ll definitely still have some bigger pieces, but we want that chunkiness!
Made this amazing lentil soup. Didn’t have paprika so I used smoked paprika. Love the taste !
What are stewed tomatoes? I cannot find these at the grocery store. I see crushed, peeled, diced, strained, pureed etc. Are any of these equivalents? Or can you post a link to a pic? I live in Canada. Thanks!
You can use diced tomatoes instead! Just keep in mind that stewed tomatoes are usually lightly seasoned, whereas diced tomatoes are not, you you may need to add a bit of additional seasoning to taste!
Can fresh roasted tomatoes be used?
How many for this recipe?
You COULD but just know that canned stewed tomatoes are stewed with spices, salt, and sugar, so they’d add more flavor to the dish. If you’re using fresh tomatoes, I would do two pounds and maybe roast them with some extra spices! You may also need a splash more liquid added to the soup.