Healthy, healthy, healthy! This nutritious soup fairly screams healthy and good for you. Chock full of veggies and protein packed lentils, this hearty, and delicious soup is low in calories and full of vitamins, most notably vitamins A & C, plus iron, folate, and fiber.
Healthy Lentil Soup is the total package. Plus, lentils make soup making easy, they cook quickly and are incredibly tasty. Also, depending on your family size, there should be enough for dinner and lunch as well as leftovers to freeze for another meal. It’s a comfort food bonanza!
Did I mention that this soup is also inexpensive to make? This recipe serves 6 and costs less than $10 to make. You probably already have most of the ingredients on hand in your fridge and pantry.
So, let’s get started! All you need for this wonderful soup are the following ingredients: olive oil, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, salt and pepper, dry lentils, diced canned tomatoes, chicken or vegetable broth, coriander, and cumin. Optional, if you have a lemon or balsamic vinegar, a splash of lemon juice or vinegar added to the soup right before you serve it, brightens the taste and makes it even yummier!
To begin, chop all of your veggies.
Add olive oil to a large dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Once your pan is hot, add your veggies and salt and cook approximately 6-7 minutes, or until the onions are translucent, and the veggies are soft.
In the meantime, rinse your lentils in a colander under running water.
Once the veggies are soft, add the lentils, canned tomatoes, chicken or vegetable broth, and spices. Mix well. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 35-45 minutes or until the lentils are tender. At this point, if you have an immersion blender, you might want to blend some or all of your soup depending on the consistency you prefer. I like my soup chunky and decided not to blend it up.
Serve immediately and enjoy.
Healthy Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 1-2 cloves finely minced garlic
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 pound lentils rinsed
- 2 cans diced tomatoes with juice 14.5 oz cans
- 2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock preferably home made
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- lemon juice or balsamic vinegar Optional*
Instructions
- Finely chop all of your veggies.
- Add olive oil to a large dutch oven and place over medium heat. Once your pan is hot, add your veggies and salt. Cook approximately 6-7 minutes or until the veggies are soft and your onions are translucent.
- Add the lentils, diced tomatoes with juice, chicken or vegetable broth, and spices. Mix well. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for approximately 45 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
- Optional, add a splash of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar to each serving if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
I have this simmering on the stove right now and it smells great. I’m curious as to the serving size you are envisioning when you suggest it will serve six–cause right now it looks like a whole lot more than that!
Thanks Mike for your question. I guess it depends on how large your serving bowls are. Probably 6 medium size bowls, or 8 smaller bowls. Sorry I can’t be more specific than that. As an aside, it does freeze really well, so if you have leftovers, simply pop them in the freezer and serve at another time. I hope you enjoy the soup!