Smoky Chickpea, Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup
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This warming, satisfying lentil and vegetable soup comes together in just 30 minutes.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
For a vegetarian recipe made almost entirely from pantry staples (and I mean true staples, not staples from some well-stocked dream kitchen), this vegetable soup is surprisingly delicious. It’s thickened by pureeing a portion of the soup and then stirring it back into the pot (a technique I also use in other veggie and bean soups like pasta e fagioli and mulligatawny). This method gives the soup a wonderfully rich and hearty texture without relying on heavy cream or flour. The soup takes just 30 minutes to come together, start to finish, yet tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen, and it’s good for you, too. For the cooked vegetables, feel free to use any quick-cooking, frozen, or leftover vegetables you have on hand. The recipe is extremely flexible and very hearty!
What you’ll need to make Chickpea, 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!
Step-by-Step Instructions
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.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
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Smoky Chickpea, Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup
This warming, satisfying lentil and vegetable soup comes together in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- ⅓ cup red lentils
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ 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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do you think that I could sub butternut squash for carrot. I’m out of carrots.
Sure!
Delicious and warming! I made some slight changes with 2 additional cups of chicken broth and used both green and yellow beans and spinach. Rather than just cumin I used a Baharat spice bend and rather than thyme I used Za’atar. This will be a mainstay soup!
The broth is so delicious!!! I omitted tomato, doubled the recipe and after sautéing the veggies threw it all in the crockpot for 3 hours on high and it was amazing! I used spinach for the veggies since I had it on hand. Loved it and will make it again.
A delicious soup and so easy to make! We loved it. Thanks, Jenn, for another winner!
Hi Jen, can you suggest some nice side dish that would go well with this soup for dinner?
Hi SK, The soup would pair nicely with this homemade naan and a simple green salad like this one. Hope that helps and that you enjoy whatever you make!
Jenn, this recipe is one of my absolute favorites; it is flawless! The flavor you’ve put together is spot on. I love that I can eat this and walk away feeling satisfied. Any chance you are creating any new vegan recipes?? I’ve got your recipe book all marked up with the food I can eat (love them all!). I would love to see more recipes for people like me who have a variety of dietary restrictions and eat primarily plant based.
So glad you like the soup, Megan! I will keep your request for more vegan recipes in mind when I am developing new things in my kitchen. 🙂
Quick question…
Why don’t you cook the peas/green beans with the soup? A lot of the vitamins from these vegetables come out in the liquid/water and this way those vitamins will be released into the soup itself. Is there a specific reason why you choose to add them at the end AFTER they’ve been cooked?
Hi Hdar, I add them at the end so they don’t get overcooked as the soup simmers for a while. Feel free to add them in earlier if you’d prefer. If you do, I’d suggest eating the soup right after you make it so the veggies don’t get too soggy. Hope that clarifies!
Two thumbs up. Easy and so tasty!
Just made this for lunch.
The flavors are amazing, thank you
Super yummy!
The smoked paprika adds a gorgeous exotic flavour. I added a whole teaspoon to give it a bigger kick. Also added celery with the onion and potatoes for some carbs.
My usually picky, starting-on-a-spring cold, stuffy headed daughter ate a big bowl of this… She could even see the zucchini, peas and beans floating in it.
I’ve made this before and she’s stared at it while everyone else gobbles it up.
But it’s so good. Warm, filling, totally delicious exactly as written with whatever veg you have laying around. The red lentils and garbanzos make this awesomely filling.
Thank you, Jenn!
I made this soup in the slow cooker with dried chickpeas which I had soaked overnight
It was lovely . I did not blend it as I wanted more of a thick stew .
Each time I have made it I have stuck to the basic recipe but added whatever I had in the fridge
Delicious
This soup is a favorite! Thanks Jenn! I sometimes use the frozen veggies mix if that is what I have on hand but prefer frozen beans and peas and also fresh baby spinach. I use an immersion blender to thicken a bit. Fantastic soup.
This soup is amazing and very Weight Watcher friendly. Very easy to reheat and eat for my lunches during the week. Thank you for another easy, delicious recipe!
Making it now… hope it turns out because I COULD NOT find directions… I scrolled up and down finally gave up and just threw everything in… eventually I saw there was a button in the advertisements area … which I, of course, had ignored.
This was utterly delicious, and perfect for the middle of a giant rainstorm.
This looks delicious, definitely going to make it. But, can I use green lentil instead?
I have so much of it.
Thanks!
Hi Rosanna, for the best results, I’d recommend sticking with the red lentils here – sorry!
Beautiful hearty soup that I see myself making this fall/winter…
Instead of chopped greens/peas I added frozen spinach last 5 minutes.
I like to let my soups rest a few minutes before serving.
This one is definitely a repeat! Thank you!
Have loved your recipes since I discovered your Beef Stew recipe. This looks great- could you suggest an alternate for the chickpeas? My family is not a fan of that particular bean, but would welcome the additional protein and fiber beans bring. Thanks!
Hi Melissa, so glad you like the recipes :). This soup is pretty flexible in terms of what beans you use, but I think cannellini beans would be a nice alternative to chickpeas. Hope you enjoy!
I do not have smoked paprika can I just a splash of liquid smoke with my regular paprika I do have?
Sure, Kelly, I think that should work. Enjoy!
Wonderful soup!
I only have regular (organic) paprika, can I use? Or will it take away from the taste of the soup?
Hi Eve, I recommend sticking with smoked paprika — it adds a lot of flavor to this soup. Sorry!
What a wonderful soup! So easy and the flavours are so interesting. I used my immersion blender to blend it to a chunky consistency, then added frozen green peas and chopped fresh spinach. Liked by vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
This soup is so delicious and easy, I’ve made it twice in the past month! I used an immersion blender to partially puree it instead of transferring it to a blender or food processor, and since I’m always looking for ways to pack more veggies into my meals, I used much more than 1 cup (probably closer to 4-5 cups – a mix of chopped spinach, green beans, and peas), and it was delicious and chunky. This is a perfect meal on a cold day – and it freezes really well!
Hi, Jenn,
This soup sounds delicious. I want to try it this weekend. Do I need to remove skin off the chickpeas? Thanks
Irina
Hi Irina, No need to remove the skin. Hope you enjoy!
Jenn to the rescue again. Although not a huge fan of “smoked” flavors, it is not overpowering in this recipe whatsoever. I love the fact that the soup is very low fat, and can be made in under an hour. I doubled the recipe, so it took a bit longer than the stated cook time, which I fully expected with 8 cups of broth to bring to a simmer. I used frozen, chopped green beans and will try with peas next time. I sliced some Gruyere cheese and put out crackers. Along with this delicious soup, it was a great Sunday dinner!
Can this be cooked in a slow cooker and if so what adjustments should I make? Thank you
HI Holli, I don’t have a lot of wisdom to share because I don’t have experience with a slow cooker, but these tips may help you convert the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Have some sliced onions…if I chop them, how much should i use?
Hi Carol, About a cup should do it. Enjoy! 🙂
Thanks Jenn, made as written…used green beans a few peas and a handful of frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry. Looked beautiful and tasted great. As far as I am concerned, you are the queen of soups. Each one is so darned good. Not that it needs any thing else, but what would you think of adding some sautéed sausage? If so, what kind? Opened a malbec wine, had some good breadsticks. a nice salad and my friend was very impressed. As always, another winner!
Glad you enjoyed this! I think adding some sauteed sausage would be delicious – you could use a spicy pork sausage, sweet turkey sausage, or even chorizo.
I sometimes serve the with homemade lamb sausage “meatballs” — so good!
I made this last year when the weather turned cold and I remembered loving it, so it the first soup that came to mind this year when the temperature started to drop. My husband HATES green beans so I used broccoli instead, which is maybe not the best substitution, but he was happy. I’m not sure what else to substitute for green beans, but I’ll keep trying different things to see what else I can come up with. As always, the soup turned out great and hit the spot. Thanks for sharing another winning recipe.
This is a staple in our freezer! What kind of pot are you using? It’s beautiful!
Hi Taylor, It’s a Cuisinart Dutch oven – I got it at Home Goods. 🙂
Amazing flavor, a family favorite!
This is such a flavorful soup that even my non-vegetarian, bean-hating family members enjoy it. The combination of spices is flawless and I have made it multiple times.
This soup was wonderful! Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great. Enjoyed it with a loaf of crusty bread.
Fall is quickly approaching and the Smoky Chickpea, Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup is a perfect meal for Fall. Easy to make a very tasty!
Yummy soup. My husband loves lentils & chickpeas so a few bowls of this soup was perfect for a light dinner. Thank you Jenn. I’ve been reading all kinds of food blogs for the past few years and yours is #1. Thank you so much for sharing all that you know. 😍
Really really GOOD! My daughter asked me to make a vegetable soup. I read the last few reviews which were current and very very positive. I TOTALLY agree a fantastic soup. So easy to make. I needed a large quantity for my daughters competition. So I started with one pot and progressed to 3 pots at a time. In no time I had my pail filled to keep that crockpot full at the competition.
Hi Jenn,
This looks like such a delicious soup and I’m looking forward to making it, but was wondering if the bay leaves should be fresh or dry?
Thank you for your time and help!
Natalie
Hi Natalie, They are dry. Enjoy!
I made this today. I only changed the cumin because I didn’t have any, so I used curry instead. So healthy and yummy. Thank you.
This was so damn good!
Super super yum and really satisfying. My husband loved this too. I will definitely save this as a favourite
I was a terrible cook before I found Jenn’s website. Now I only make her recipes and they’re all fantastic. This is one of my favorites. It’s easy and very flavorful. The smoky paprika packs a punch but isn’t too overwhelming.
You can whip this soup up in no time but it sure doesn’t taste like it. Very rich and complex. Thanks for another winner recipe, Jenn and congrats on your new cookbook that looks like it’s coming out in a couple of days!!
This is just amazing Jenn, the most delicious soup I have ever had. What would I do without you?
❤️
Another of your delicious soups that will become a regular at my home. My husband had 3 bowls! Thanks Jenn.
I’ve made this quite a few times now, for my family and for friends, and it’s a winner. I recommend doubling the recipe. It also doesn’t really need blending so it works well in a limited kitchen – if you do blend it, I don’t advise doing more than a cup.
A great tasting soup that is quick and easy to make.
Great! Loved it.
Absolutely fantastic! probably the nicest soup I’ve ever had, very moreish. Cooked it as per recipe but just dropped the hand blender in to whiz it up a bit at the end.
This soup is really tasty! The recipe is great as is! I do add shredded chicken and it is a nice addition for those who need meat or you want a more filling soup.
This soup has all the right showtopping flavors! Can’t wait to make it again and again!
This soup is really tasty and healthy! The first time I made it and tried it, I actually said to my husband “omg, this tastes like something you would get at Panera or something”. It’s a plus that it is super easy to make as well. Try it!