Lentil and Vegetable Soup (Printable)

Hearty lentils and vegetables simmered with warming spices for a protein-rich, nourishing bowl ready in under an hour.

# Ingredient List:

→ Lentils

01 - 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 medium onion, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 carrots, peeled and diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
08 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
09 - 1 cup diced tomatoes, fresh or canned
10 - 4 cups vegetable broth
11 - 2 cups water
12 - 2 cups fresh spinach or kale, chopped

→ Seasonings

13 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
14 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
15 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
16 - 1 bay leaf
17 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
18 - ½ teaspoon black pepper

→ Optional Garnishes

19 - Chopped fresh parsley
20 - Lemon wedges

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic; sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
02 - Add carrots, celery, zucchini, and red bell pepper to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until beginning to soften.
03 - Stir in ground cumin, dried thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add rinsed lentils, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, water, and bay leaf. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat.
05 - Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 25 minutes, or until lentils and vegetables are completely tender.
06 - Stir in spinach or kale; cook for 2–3 minutes until wilted. Remove and discard bay leaf.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley and lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's forgiving enough to make on autopilot but tasty enough to impress, which is a rare combination.
  • One pot means one pot to wash, and that matters more than people admit.
  • You can swap vegetables based on what's in season or what you have around, so it never feels repetitive.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the lentils; undiscovered pebbles hiding in there have ruined more than one spoonful of soup and were entirely preventable.
  • If you add the greens too early, they'll turn an unappetizing olive color instead of staying vibrant, so resist the urge to add them with everything else.
03 -
  • If you're in a hurry, use pre-diced vegetables from the grocery store—no judgment here, and it cuts your prep time nearly in half without sacrificing flavor.
  • The smoked paprika is doing more work than you'd expect; don't leave it out thinking it won't matter, because it actually creates most of the depth in this soup.
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