Description
This Cozy Lentil Soup recipe is a hearty and comforting dish perfect for chilly weather. Packed with nutritious ingredients and Mediterranean-inspired flavors, it’s a satisfying vegan and gluten-free option for a cozy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
For the soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups dry brown or green lentils, rinsed
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach or kale (optional)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the soup: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery until softened. Add garlic, cumin, paprika, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant.
- Cook the lentils: Add lentils, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then simmer until lentils are tender.
- Finish the soup: Remove the bay leaf, stir in spinach or kale, if using. Simmer until greens wilt. Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Serve: Garnish with parsley and serve warm.
Notes
- Use red lentils for a quicker-cooking version (reduce cook time to 20–25 minutes).
- Add a diced potato or sweet potato for extra heartiness.
- This soup freezes well and tastes even better the next day.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 540mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 37g
- Fiber: 13g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
