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White bowls with lentil soup inside.

Lentil Soup

Ashley Manila
This lentil soup recipe is, dare I humblebrag (???), perfect!!! Not too watery (like a lot of lentil soups) but not so thick it's lentil stew. The lentils are tender and hold their shape in the flavorful tomato based soup broth. I love using brown lentils, but I've had success with almost all types of lentils, from french lentils to red lentils!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Dinner, Lunch, Soup
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 8

Ingredients
 

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
  • 4 carrots finely diced
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 cups brown lentils washed and picked over
  • 8 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon salt more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 and 1/2 cups spinach or kale chopped (remove tough ribs if using kale)
  • 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, warm the oil over medium heat until shimmering.
  • Add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring frequently.  until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 8 to 9 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Pour in the wine and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
  • Pour in the crushed tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the honey.
  • Add in the lentils and broth, salt and black pepper. Stir well to combine.
  • Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Then partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 45 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape.
  • Add the chopped greens and cook for 5 minutes if using spinach, and 10 to 15 minutes if using kale.
  • Remove the pot from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice. 
  • Serve warm. Leftovers will keep well for about 4 days in the refrigerator, or can be frozen for up to 2 months (just defrost before serving).
Keyword soup, soup recipes, lentil soup
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