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Smoky Chickpea, Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup
A warming, satisfying lentil and vegetable soup to cure your winter blues.
If you’re in need of a little pick-me-up, this soul-satisfying lentil and vegetable soup is just the ticket. Here’s what I love about it: you can make it with ingredients you likely have on hand; it’s ready in 30 minutes yet tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen, and it’s vegetarian and healthy. What’s more, along with a salad and good bread, it’s hearty enough to be a complete meal.
What you’ll need to make lentil and vegetable soup
Before we get started, a few words about the ingredients. It’s important to use red lentils, as opposed to another variety: they cook quickly, add wonderful flavor and thicken the soup nicely. The recipe only calls for a third of a cup; don’t be tempted to add more or your soup will turn to sludge.
As for the green vegetables, I like to use frozen peas and green beans but you can use any quick cooking, frozen or leftover vegetables you have on hand. The recipe is very flexible!
How to make lentil and vegetable soup
Begin by cooking the onions in olive oil until soft. Add the carrots, garlic, smoked paprika and cumin and cook until fragrant, a few minutes.
Add the broth, tomatoes, lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chickpeas and continue cooking 10 minutes more.
Remove a few cups of the soup and place in a blender or food processor.
Purée until smooth.
Pour the puréed soup back into the pot. Stir and taste; if you want the soup to be thicker, purée a bit more. Add the vegetables.
Bring the soup back to a simmer and serve.
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Smoky Chickpea, Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup
A warming, satisfying lentil and vegetable soup to cure your winter blues.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- Heaping 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1/3 cup red lentils
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cooked vegetables, such as frozen peas or chopped green beans
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, smoked paprika and cumin; cook, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn't brown, about 2 minutes more.
- Add the broth, diced tomatoes, red lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer; cook for ten minutes. Add the chickpeas, cover the pot and cook 10 minutes more. Fish out the bay leaves, then transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender and purée until smooth (be sure to remove the center knob on the blender and cover with a dishtowel to avoid splatters). Add the puréed soup back to the pot and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary; if you want the soup to be thicker, purée a bit more soup. Add the cooked vegetables and simmer until the soup is hot and the vegetables are warmed through. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. through.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Serving size: about 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 222
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Sugar: 7g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 10g
- Sodium: 622mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This has been a go to recipe for much of the year for the past couple of years. Thank you for sharing such a wonderfully delicious yet simple dinner that my daughter (10!) often requests!
This was delicious and so simple! Thank you!