Kitchen notes · a little help before you start

Easy Lentil Soup Recipe

Name: Easy Lentil Soup Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons oil; 2 each large carrots (peeled and chopped); 1 each medium onion (peeled and diced); 1 each red bell pepper (diced); 1 rib celery (finely chopped); 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 2 cloves garlic (finely minced); 2 teaspoons salt; 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning; 1 teaspoon paprika; ½ teaspoon cumin; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes; 5 cups low sodium vegetable broth; 398 ml canned crushed tomatoes (14 oz); 1 cup dried green lentils (picked through and rinsed); 1 each bay leaf

A pot of lentil soup gives you a hearty bowl with plenty of vegetables in every spoonful. Tomato and warm spices make the broth savory and inviting. Choose how soft you like the lentils, then sit down to enjoy the soup while it is hot.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 55 min
Original yield: Serves 5
Ingredients: 17 listed

Make it part of your week

Estimating…

Main courseSoupsAmericanBeans & lentilsPrep: 16–30 minutesTotal: 31–60 minutesSoups & stews

Recipe categories & planning details

Meal type: Main course
Primary protein: Beans & lentils
Cuisine: American
Preparation & total time: Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: 31–60 minutes
Dish type: Soups · Soups & stews

A few quick notes

1. Soften the vegetables

Cook the carrot, onion, pepper and celery until crisp-tender before adding the tomato paste, garlic and seasonings to the pot.

2. Cook the seasoning base

Stir tomato paste, garlic and spices through the vegetables for one to two minutes before the broth and tomatoes go in.

3. Choose lentil texture

Check during the twenty-to-thirty-minute simmer, stopping earlier for firmer lentils or later when you prefer them soft.

Get to know the ingredients

Picked-over green lentils

Pick through and rinse the dried green lentils before stirring them into the simmering broth with the bay leaf.

Crushed tomatoes

Use the canned crushed tomatoes listed, adding them to the broth before the lentils go in for their covered simmer.

Low-sodium broth

Vegetable broth forms the soup base. The low-sodium choice leaves the final seasoning adjustment until after the lentils cook.

The last little job

Taste the finished soup

Once the lentils have the texture you like, taste the soup and adjust its seasonings before ladling it out.

A little more help as you go

Keep a covered simmer

Reduce to medium-low after adding lentils and cover the pot, stirring occasionally during the cooking stage.

Adding extra vegetables

Cook firmer additions with the first vegetables. Soft or frozen additions can join with the lentils.

A few questions you might have

Can I use split red lentils?

Split red lentils work, but need only five to ten minutes of cooking instead of the longer green-lentil simmer.

What about whole red lentils?

You can also use whole red lentils, with about fifteen to twenty minutes of cooking.

Can I refrigerate the soup?

Refrigerate the cooked lentil soup for up to four days.

Can the soup be frozen?

It can be frozen for up to three months, though the vegetables and lentils will have a softer texture after thawing.

Does the bay leaf go in with the first vegetables?

It joins the soup with the rinsed lentils after the broth and crushed tomatoes have come to a simmer.

Any more cooking tips?

Ingredients and Substitutions: Vegetables : there’s lots of room for additional veggies in this recipe. Saute firmer vegetables with the others at the beginning, or add soft or frozen vegetables with the lentils. Lentils : you can swap for red lentils if that’s what you have, but keep in mind they cook much more quickly. Split red lentils will take only 5-10 minutes, and whole red lentils about 15-20. Storage : This soup can be refrigerated up to 4 days, or frozen up to 3 months. Keep in mind if freezing that the texture of the vegetables and lentils will be softer after thawing.

Storage & reheating safety

For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.

These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures

Recipe source: thereciperebel.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.

Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.

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