This lentil soup is, I kid you not, AMAZING and DELICIOUS. My hearty vegetable lentil soup is jammed packed full of veggies and yummy, healthy lentils that make for an incredible lentil soup.
Whether you’re looking for the perfect winter soup that will keep you warm and cozy on those cold days, or for an easy soup you can eat in the middle of summer, this lentil soup has you covered!
Lately, I’ve been on a quest to eat more plant based meals, but have been worried about sacrificing flavor. Which is silly, because I KNOW that food doesn’t need to have meat to be delicious! This lentil soup is a perfect example of that!
So let me show you how to make this lentil soup. It’s simple, easy, light, and hearty at the same time! 6
Start by prepping your veggies
Dice everything nice and small so it looks like this:
I don’t know about you, but there’s something about chopping vegetables that is soothingly meditative. Plus, look how pretty they look.
Here’s a tip: if you hate chopping veggies, make sure you’re using a sharp enough knife. I swear, having a good knife makes a huge difference when doing any extended chopping. In case you’re wondering, this is my favorite knife.
Then, throw everything in a pot
Once your veggies are cut up, heat up a big pot over medium heat, add your oil (and wait a minute for it to heat up), then throw your chopped up veggies into the pot. Sauté until the onions start to soften, about a minute or two.
Once the onions are soft, add your spices, water, and clean lentils. Turn heat up to medium high, and bring your soup to a boil. Once you get a good boil going, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook covered until the lentils are cooked through (about 20 minutes, depending on the lentils you use).
Dress it up
Once the lentils are done, chop up some cilantro and add it to your soup. Stir it in and watch your soup liven up.
Finish with some (optional, but strongly recommended) drizzle of lime juice to punch up the flavor even more!
What to serve alongside lentil soup
The soup is great on its own or served with a side of bread to soak up the juice. You can also serve it over some plain white rice, or use some tortillas to soak up the soup.
Whatever you do, please please PLEASE add some lime to it to add an extra zing. I promise you’ll love it!
This recipe makes a big batch perfect for a family or meal prep Sunday!
Make it vegetarian or vegan
You can make the recipe vegan by leaving out the chicken bouillon and replacing the water with vegetable stock, just adjust your salt as needed.
Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 10 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed about 1.5 tablespoon
- 1 large yellow or sweet onion, diced about 3 cups
- 3 roma tomatoes, diced about 2 cups
- 5 carrots, diced about 2.5 cups
- 5 small stalks of celery, diced about 1.5 cups
- 2 tbsp avocado oil (any other oil works as well)
- 1 cup lentils washed and cleaned
- 12 cups water (can be replaced with chicken or vegetable stock)
- 3 tbsp chicken bouillion (omit if using chicken or vegetable stock)
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 bunch cilantro (add at the very end)
- juice of a lime, to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Start by dicing your onion, carrots, tomatoes, & celery and set aside.
- Mince your garlic and set aside
- Heat up a large pot over medium high heat and add your oil
- Add the onion, carrots, tomatoes, celery and garlic and saute until the onions start to soften, about 3-5 minutes . Make sure you stir the veggies often so nothing burns
- Clean and rinse your lentils
- Add water, lentils, chicken bouillion, pepper, bay leaves, thyme and salt to the pot
- Bring everything to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low
- Let everything simmer, covered until lentils are cooked all the way through. Make sure you give it a good stir every now and then!
- Chop the cilantro and add to the lentil soup when everything is done.
- Add a splash of lime juice and serve hot!
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