Vegan Lentil Soup
Who doesn’t love comfort food? The good thing about comfort food is it doesn’t have to be unhealthy – enter my vegan lentil soup! My vegan lentil soup is hearty and filling, one bite feels like you’re being covered in a cozy blanket. Not to mention that this soup is protein-packed, all around nutrient dense, and a great option for anyone with any dietary restrictions (and, of course, those without). Plus, my vegan lentil soup is cooked in just a few minutes, so let’s get cooking!
How To Make Vegan Lentil Soup
First, measure out your veggies and spices, and chop the veggies accordingly. Next, in a large stockpot over medium heat, add oil. Once the oil is heated, add the onion, carrot and celery and saute for 5 minutes (a chef’s term for these three vegetables is mirepoix. These vegetables are added to the base of many soups).
After the mirepoix is cooked down, add the lentils, bay leaf, turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili powder, salt, and pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Toasting the lentils and spices prior to adding the liquid brings out more flavor – the lentils have a bit of nuttiness and the spices release their fragrant oils. Finally, add the vegetable stock, bring the soup to a boil, cover the stockpot and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cook the soup for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender. This vegan lentil soup pairs well with a slice of toasted baguette!
Because this recipe makes 6 servings, this is a great meal to make ahead of time for meal prep, or even to freeze. PRO TIP: pre-portion the soup in reusable food storage containers for easy re-heating! In the freezer, this vegan lentil soup will last about 3 months.
To reheat, remove the portion(s) of soup you want to reheat, place them in a large pot over medium-high heat, and allow it to defrost. Mix the soup every few minutes. Once the soup is heated through, enjoy!
About Stockpots
Investing in a stockpot really helps to make this one pot dish super easy, with minimal clean-up. Stockpots are great because they can hold a large volume and don’t run the risk of overflowing on your burners. Stockpots typically come in different sizes ranging from 4 quarts to 12 quarts. Below are some of my favorite stockpots at different price ranges!
Health Benefits of Vegan Lentil Soup
Lentils are a highly nutritious food. Lentils are a type of pulse, and a pulse is the seed of a legume.1 For a 1 cup of lentils, they provide 18 grams of plant protein, 15 grams of fiber, and are an excellent source of vitamins B1, folate, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper and manganese.2 Together, these nutrients work to prevent cancer, improve lipids levels in the blood, reduce risk of heart disease, regulate blood sugar, among many other beneficial actions.3
Lentils can be counted as part of the 5 ½ ounces-equivalents of recommended servings of protein per day.4
One bowl of vegan lentil soup is a nutrient-powerhouse!
Similar Pages
If you loved this vegan lentil soup, check out my Instant Pot Bean Soup, my Cold Tomato Soup, and my Barley Bean Chili!
Resources
- Delicious and Nutritious – Pulse recipes, facts and videos. Pulses. https://pulses.org/what-are-pulses. Accessed April 26, 2020.
- O’Brien S. Lentils: Nutrition, Benefits and How to Cook Them. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lentils. Published September 5, 2018. Accessed April 26, 2020.
- Mudryj AN, Yu N, Aukema HM. Nutritional and Health Benefits of Pulses. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2014;39(11):1197-1204. doi:10.1139/apnm-2013-0557
- Chapter 1 Key Elements of Healthy Eating Patterns. A Closer Look Inside Healthy Eating Patterns – 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines. https://health.gov/our-work/food-nutrition/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines/guidelines/chapter-1/a-closer-look-inside-healthy-eating-patterns/#callout-legumes. Accessed April 26, 2020.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 1 cup green or brown lentils
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups no salt added vegetable stock
Instructions
- In a large stockpot over medium heat, add oil. Add onion, carrot, and celery and saute 5 minutes. Add the lentils, bay leaf, turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili powder, salt, and pepper and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes until the lentils are tender.
Video
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Two Healthy Diets — One Delicious Cookbook
I’ve combined DASH diet and Mediterranean diet recipes into something even better… Presenting The Mediterranean DASH Diet Cookbook.
