Budget-Friendly Lentil Soup Recipe

This lentil soup recipe from Preppy Kitchen is a classic recipe that you can make with simple ingredients. It’s healthy, hearty, rich, and nourishing and is made in one pot. The perfect soup for a cold day or when you need a cozy and budget-friendly dish.

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
•  1 yellow onion diced
•  2 large carrots diced
•  2 celery stalks diced
•  6 garlic cloves minced
•  1½ teaspoons ground cumin
•  1½ teaspoons ground coriander
•  1 tablespoon chopped thyme 1½ teaspoons dried
•  1 pound dried lentils picked over and washed (450g)
•  1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (794g)
•  6 to 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth divided (1.4-1.9L)
•  ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
•  1 bay leaf
•  salt to taste
•  2 cups chopped kale ribs removed
•  1 lemon zested and juiced
•  chopped parsley or chives for garnish

Directions:

Prepare all the needed ingredients.

Place a large pot over medium-high heat and heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Add in 1 diced yellow onion, 2 large, diced carrots, and 2 diced celery stalks. Let the ingredients cook for about 5-8 minutes while frequently stirring until the onions turn translucent.

Mix in 6 minced garlic cloves, 1 ½  teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 ½ teaspoon of ground coriander, and 1 tbsp of dried thyme. Let the ingredients cook for about 2 minutes while stirring frequently. Add in 28 oz of diced tomatoes and scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Then, add 1 pound of the dried lentils, 6 cups of broth, ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper, and a bay leaf to taste. 

Bring the soup to a boil for about 8 minutes. When the soup comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, maintaining a gentle simmer. Partially cover the pot with its lid and simmer while stirring occasionally.

Let the soup simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the lentils are tender but still maintain their shape. Add additional broth if needed.

Season the soup with salt to taste if needed.

To thicken the soup, remove two cups of the soup from the pot and blend or mash with a potato masher until the soup thickens. Then, stir the blended soup back into the pot and add 2 cups of chopped kale ribs and 1 lemon zest and juice.

Let the soup simmer for 5 more minutes until the kale becomes tender.

Serve it hot and top it with chopped parsley or chives.

Enjoy!

Budget-Friendly Lentil Soup Recipe