I love this soup because I almost always have everything on hand to make it—even when I haven’t been grocery shopping in awhile, I can probably still make this healthy and flavorful soup! Serve it with some crusty bread and a side salad to round out the meal.
What do I need to make this vegan lentil soup?
This soup recipe calls for many of our go-to pantry ingredients:
- Cooking oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Frozen mixed vegetables. We used a peas, corn, carrots, and green beans blend, but any frozen vegetable mix will work.
- Canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- Green lentils
- Vegetable broth
- Ground cumin and dried oregano (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste.
What’s so great about lentils?
If you haven’t done a lot of cooking with lentils, I highly recommend stocking them in your pantry. They are a cheap and healthy source of protein that work really well in soups like this because they have such a mild-flavor. Depending on the type of lentils you buy and how long you cook them, they can either completely dissolve into a creamy, mashed consistency, or, like these brown lentils I use here, keep their shape a little bit. They have a really nice “chew” that I think us carnivores can appreciate in vegetarian dishes. You can leave this lentil veggie soup in tact, or do what I did, and blend up a few cups of it with an immersion blender to make the base creamy and thick.
What if I’m missing an ingredient?
I love this soup because it’s kinda impossible to mess up. I have a basic combo of spices and veggies down in the recipe, but really, you can experiment, add to, and change this recipe without worry of messing it up. And that’s what makes it such a good recipe for when the groceries are dwindling.
Add some greens, put in some fresh herbs, throw in a handful of rice, toss in some other frozen veggies—it’s pretty much always going to turn out. Which makes this not only a great dish for when your kitchen isn’t full-stocked, but also for cleaning out a fridge that is stocked with some not-so-perfect produce. In fact, I save our sad little baby celery stalks (you know, the ones from the middle of the bunch that are mostly leaves) just for using in soups like these.
How do I store the leftovers?
Leftover soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the soup in freezer-safe containers for 3-4 months.
Vegan Lentil Soup Recipe
You probably already have everything you need to make this healthy and flavorful Lentil Vegetable Soup in your kitchen!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 10-ounce bags frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 14-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2/3 cup dried green lentils
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add in the onion, and sauté until just tender and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add in garlic and sauté an additional minute.
- Add in the frozen mixed vegetables, diced tomatoes, green lentils, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are tender—about 25-30 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning (you may need to add salt if you used low sodium or homemade broth). Serve immediately.
Notes
- Depending on the age of your lentils, you might have a hard time getting them to soften because of the diced tomatoes. The acid in tomatoes slows the cooking process for the lentils. If your lentils have been in your pantry for a while, err on the safe side and add the diced tomatoes after the lentils have softened slightly.
- Fire roasted diced tomatoes give tons of flavor, but if you can’t find them in your store, a standard can of diced tomatoes will work just fine.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 199Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 739mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 11gSugar: 9gProtein: 9g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
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