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I’m a sucker for a good canned lentil soup, especially on those days where I just can’t be bothered to cook but still want a well balanced meal that’s going to leave me satisfied. If you can relate, this easy lentil soup is the recipe for you! In all honestly, I just looked at the ingredients included in my favorite canned lentil soup and realized how easy it would be to recreate, and not to mention, how much cheaper and more flavorful it would be. Home cooked meals are always superior in my opinion and this recipe makes a huge batch so you can freeze the leftovers and always have some on hand!
Below is a step-by-step guide to making this cozy lentil soup, with a full recipe summary and measurements at the bottom of the page.
Let’s talk about the ingredients and their benefits:
- Onion: White or yellow onions will work best for this recipe. I typically use sweet yellow because I enjoy their milder flavor. Onions are rich in antioxidants and other compounds that help to fight against disease and cancer.
- Carrot: This common vegetable is a great source of vitamins and nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin K, calcium and beta-carotene, which is found in many orange fruits and vegetables and supports immune health and eye health.
- Celery: This crunchy vegetable is also rich in antioxidants such as flavonoids and vitamin C, which have amazing anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties.
- Potatoes: Yukon golds are my go-to for soup potatoes, but whatever kind you prefer or have on hand will taste just fine. Potatoes are relatively low in nutrients, but they are incredibly satiating, which is why I love including them in soups.
- Kale: This cruciferous vegetable is so unbelievably good for your body that it truly deserves an award. While it may not be everyone’s favorite, kale has one of the highest nutrient densities of any other vegetable out there. It’s rich in antioxidants and vitamins and helps to lower cholesterol and fight against cancer and heart disease.
- Green beans: I just used canned for this recipe to make things easier. Although, fresh would be even better! Green beans contain a large variety of vitamins to aid in protection against disease as well as calcium, which helps keep bones strong.
- Lentils: Legumes are packed with protein and fiber as well as other essential vitamins to fight against illness and disease. When eating a plant-based diet, it’s very important to ensure you are meeting your daily protein requirements. According to the CDC, your daily protein intake should make up approximately 16% of the calories you consume. Since beans contain roughly 8 grams of protein per one half cup serving, consuming them on a daily basis is a great way to ensure your meeting those needs.
- Diced tomatoes: Even canned tomatoes are a great source of nutrients and contribute to a reduced risk of cancer and heart disease by lowering cholesterol and boosting the immune system.
- Vegetable broth: Vegetable stock, broth, or bouillon will work equally fine.
- Garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, turmeric, bay leaves, salt & pepper: In addition to the amazing flavor they bring, there are added benefits when it comes to including spices in your meals. According to NutritonFacts.org, spices offer a wide range of benefits and are known to improve health issues such as cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and they can even be mood boosters! Therefore, it’s important to include at least a small amount of herbs and spices in your daily diet.
Pro tip: I always try to buy my produce and herbs from the local farmer’s market because the quality of flavor makes a huge difference! Plus I love to support my community and the environment, and you can’t beat the piece of mind of knowing exactly where your food comes from. I encourage you to check out your local farms (if you haven’t already) and see what they have to offer!
(Not pictured: 10 cups vegetable stock)
Step 1:
Gather your ingredients and chop up those veggies! You’ll want to dice the onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes fairly small so that all the flavors are incorporated in each bite. I would recommend removing the thick stem from the kale leaves before chopping. As you can see, I used kale raab when filming this recipe because that’s all I could find at the farmer’s market this time of year! Honestly, any leafy green would work for this recipe.
Step 2:
Start by adding the onions, celery, and carrots to your pressure cooker and set the SAUTE setting to 7 minutes (If cooking on the stovetop, just set the heat to medium and follow the same instructions). After 2-3 minutes, add the spices and bay leaves and sauté for the remaining 4-5 minutes.
Pro tip: Sauteing the veggies and seasonings before adding the remaining ingredients reawakens the spices and really intensifies the flavor of the soup.
Step 3:
Once the spices have browned to the bottom of the pot, add a splash of vegetable stock (or water if you’re using bouillon like me) to deglaze and make sure to scrape all the bits of flavor off the bottom.
Step 4:
Add the remaining stock, potatoes, kale, diced tomatoes, green beans, and lentils and cook on High Pressure for 12 minutes. (For stovetop, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes.)
That’s all there is to it! I recommend enjoying this cozy soup with some fresh baked bread or croutons. You can store this lentil soup in the fridge for up to 7 days, or freeze it to enjoy in the future. If you try this recipe and enjoy it, share it with a friend and comment down below. I always love to hear your feedback!
Don’t own a pressure cooker?
Cooking this soup on the stove or in a slow cooker is perfectly fine, it just takes some extra time. Using a pressure cooker is a great time saver and also allows your food to retain a lot of it’s vitamins and nutrients, whereas cooking in open containers with exposure to oxygen can lead to a loss of nutrients and flavor. I literally use my Instant Pot almost every single day and highly recommend investing in one to save yourself some time and energy! Here’s a link to the one I have been using for years: https://amzn.to/49X5iUa
Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dry brown lentils rinsed
- 1 onion diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 large gold potatoes (or 4-6 small) diced
- 2 cups kale chopped
- 2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
- 1 15 oz. can green beans (or 1 cup fresh) drained
- 10 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 2 dry bay leaves
Instructions
- Add a small amount of oil to a large pot and add onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté over med-high heat for 2-3 minutes, or until veggies start to sweat.
- Add spices and bay leaves and sauté another 5 minutes, or until the seasonings start to brown on the bottom of the pan.
- Add a splash of vegetable stock to deglaze the pot and scrape all the bits off the bottom.
- Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 30 minutes.
