Collard Greens Lentil Soup! Always ready for flavorful and comforting soup that screams nourishing goodness.

Easy and delicious, this recipe for Collard Greens Lentil Soup is brimming with plant-based ingredients all bathed in a bold, smoky broth.  Tender collard greens, garden veggies, and hearty, protein-packed lentils shine in this cozy soup. There’s nothing more “homey” than a perfectly seasoned, savory bowl of soup and this one really delivers!

Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.

Hi there, Ameera here!

This Collard Greens Lentil Soup was inspired by Eat Healthy Eat Happy.

We love collard greens.  It wasn’t always this way, but it sure is now.  We have been growing them in our garden for the past 7 years.  It was a tad bit rough getting Dad to change up his garden game, but we finally convinced him to raise collards by simply serving him dishes with collards.  The rest is history!

He is always excited when the collard greens are ready for picking.  He lovingly tends to them to ensure they grow because he is anticipating dishes filled with those nourishing greens.

Nutrition

As if just being delicious isn’t enough, collard greens are part of the cruciferous family with Vitamin K, an essential vitamin for bone health.  Just one cup of collard greens provides a whopping 770 mg of Vitamin K, which is 7 times the normal amount recommended as a daily minimum.

Collards are great for digestion and may reduce some cancer risks due to the sulfur-rich compounds called glucosinolates.  Scientists believe that these compounds help prevent or delay cancer cell development. So if you are looking for a new green to incorporate into your diet, look no further than these incredible greens!

If you are a collards fan too, then we just know you are going to love this recipe.

Other Recipes with Collard Greens

• Southern Collard Green Potato Soup
• Lemony Pasta with Greens and Beans
• Sweet and Spicy Collard Greens
• Southern Collard Greens
• Cajun Jackfruit and Collard Greens
• Collard Greens and Black-eyed Pea Salad
• Collard Green Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Cajun Pasta and Peppers

Tips for Success:

• Instant Pot: We used an 8-quart Instant Pot.  If you use a 6-quart Instant Pot or a different lentil, you may need to reduce the time in the Instant Pot accordingly.
• Flavors to Marry: Make sure you allow at least 5 minutes for the flavors to marry.  The flavors continue to develop once the soup slightly cools.
• Instant Pot Sauté: We tried using the sauté function with the Instant Pot and it really made no discernable difference.  It did make a slight difference on the stove top.
• Stove Top Simmer: Do not cook this soup at a rolling boil, but rather a low tempered boil.  Use a tight-fitting lid to ensure that you do not evaporate too much liquid.
• Spiciness of Soup: This soup is full of flavor with a bit of spiciness. Feel free to adjust the chili powder and smoked paprika accordingly.  We enjoyed 1 teaspoon of regular chili powder.  Feel free to adjust per your taste preferences.
• Amount of Collard Greens: The amount of collard greens has a direct impact on the flavor and spiciness of this soup.  Collard greens tend to neutralize spices and make them more mellow and mild.  The more collards you add, the more mild the soup becomes.  If you use less collards (3 cups), then you may wish to lower the smoked paprika and chili powder.  If you use more collard greens (5 cups), then you may want to slightly increase the smoked paprika and chili powder.  We suggest that you cook the soup, then add additional spices at the end.
• Baking Soda: Baking soda is often used as a neutralizer for dishes that contain a lot of acidity, typically from tomatoes.  We use it in this dish to remove some of the tomato acidity (from the tomato paste) without losing the tomatoey flavor. When you add it, the mixture may bubble up, then settle down as it neutralizes the acidity. The baking soda also helps speed up the cooking process when combining tomatoes with the lentils which naturally takes longer to cook.  The baking soda helps here.
• Toppings: We suggest adding a tiny splash of apple cider vinegar or hot sauce when serving.

Leftovers and Freezing:

Leftovers will generally keep for 5 days in the refrigerator.  Store in a covered container.  Reheating can be done on the stovetop, or in the microwave.

This soup does freeze well.  For best results, thaw out overnight in the refrigerator.

Pantry Products Used:

• Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.
• Lentils: We used Palouse Brand Small Brown Lentils.  They are delicious.  They hold their shape well and have a slightly nutty taste to them.  Feel free to use your favorite brown or green lentils.
• Chili Powder: We used Penzeys Regular Chili Powder.  It has great flavor, with a tiny kick that is not overwhelming.  Feel free to use your favorite chili powder, just be sure to select a mild one and not one that has a lot of heat to it.

Kitchen Products Used:

• Instant Pot or Ceramic/Enamel Lined Dutch Oven or similarly large stock pot with a tight-fitting lid

We certainly hope you give this deliciousness a try.

If you try this flavorful soup, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us!  We would love to hear from you.

Collard Greens Lentil Soup

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
• Prep Time: 15 Minutes
• Cook Time: 13 Minutes (IP)
• Total Time: 28 Minutes (+Rest Time)
• Yield: 4-5 Servings 1x
• Category: Soup
• Method: Instant Pot/Stovetop
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Easy and delicious, this recipe for Collard Greens Lentil Soup is brimming with plant-based ingredients all bathed in a bold, smoky broth.

Inspired by Eat Healthy Eat Happy

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Ingredients

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Base Ingredients:

• 1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
• 2 carrots, sliced into penny rounds
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari *
• 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth *
• 3 cups water
• 3 to 5 cups collard greens, chopped into 1 ½ inch pieces
• 2/3 cup dry small brown lentils, picked through and rinsed *
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda * 

Spice/Herb Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
• 1 ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika (+/-) *
• 1 ¾ teaspoon chili powder (+/-) *
• Pinch cumin
• ¼ to 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)

Optional Toppings:

• Splash apple cider vinegar
• Splash hot sauce
• Chopped fresh parsley

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Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions

1. Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
2. Add all the Base Ingredients and Spice/Herb Mix, stir well to combine. Set the Instant Pot to Manual Pressure Highfor 13 minutes.  When finished, press Cancel and allow to sit for 2 minutes, then do a Quick Release.  Unplug the Instant Pot.
3. Once all the pressure is released, carefully remove the lid, stir well, rest for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to marry.
4. Serve and Enjoy!

Stove Top Instructions

1. Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
2. In a large ceramic/enamel-lined pot or similar stock pot, add the diced onions, carrots and celery, sauté over medium-high heat until the veggies begin to soften, approximately 7 to 9 minutes, stirring periodically to prevent burning. Add a tablespoon or so of water if they start to stick and/or to prevent burning.
3. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste, sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then add all remaining the Base Ingredients and Spice/Herb Mix, stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower to a low-boiling simmer, stir to combine. Cover with a tight-fitting lid.  Simmer for 25 to 35 minutes until the lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from the stove and rest for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to marry.
5. Serve and Enjoy!

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Notes

*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.

*Sea Salt:  Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Serving:  4 to 5 (makes 8 cups)

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