We are in total soup mode over here and drooling over this healthy, delicious, and comforting Warming Lentil Soup. Perfectly seasoned, it never fails to please, this tasty soup is all you’ll need on a chilly day to warm you up inside. You can be assured that every spoonful will be flavorful, packed with deliciousness, and stick-to-your-ribs good.

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

Hi there, Ameera here!

We are a lentil loving family, I suppose you could say we are lentil connoisseurs – LOL!  Our favorite lentil is the brown lentil, also called the Spanish brown or Pardina lentil. Why you might ask?

Well that’s easy, they have a sturdy structure, a tiny bit firmer, hold their shape well while cooking and have a higher protein content than regular lentils. Plus, they have a mild, almost nutty like taste.

This post contains affiliate links, and we may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures! For more information, see our disclosures here.

Where can I find them?

Some grocery stores carry brown lentils, but not a ton. We buy ours from Palouse Brand. We love them. AND before you ask, nope, this is NOT a sponsored advertisement from Palouse Brand. We just love them that much.

While they do not openly advertise that their lentils are gluten free (potential cross contamination), send them an email, give them the packaging code on the bag and they will provide you with the gluten content, if any at all (recorded with every batch).

EVERY bag I have purchased from them has been gluten free. YAYYY!!! Because as a Celiac family, it is hard to find gluten free lentils (or any kind of bean/legume).

I love that about them!  Excellent customer service. Why am I going on and on about brown lentils?  Because they are just so much better than green lentils in my humble opinion.

Lentil Swap

You can certainly use green lentils in this recipe, and I promise you that if you love lentils, you will love this recipe whether you use brown or green lentils.

Please do not use red lentils in this recipe. Red lentils have a very different texture and taste and will completely fall apart and turn to mush in this dish.

This soup will definitely warm you up inside with the first bite. It is delicious and filling. I’ll let Mom

tell you more!

Hi!  Robin here!

This soup is seasoned to perfection; I absolutely love it! Monkey worked hard on multiple kitchen tests to get this one seasoned just right, and she totally did!

We hope you give this recipe a try and spice up your life! If you try this comforting stew, 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.

More Delicious Lentil Dishes:

• French Lentil Rice Mushroom
• BBQ Lentil Sloppy Joes
• Two Lentil Potato Stew
• Lentil Shepherds Pie
• Instant Pot Lentil Tacos 
• Moroccan Sweet Potato Lentil Stew

Products Used:

• Ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven or similar large stock pot with a tight-fitting lid
• Immersion blender (optional)

Warming Lentil Soup

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
• Prep Time: 15 Minutes
• Cook Time: 50 Minutes
• Total Time: 65 Minutes (+15 Minutes)
• Yield: 4-5 Servings 1x
• Category: Stew
• Method: Stovetop

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Description

This healthy, delicious, and comforting Warming Lentil Soup is perfectly seasoned and all you’ll need on a chilly day to warm you up inside. Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, no highly processed ingredients.

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Ingredients

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Base Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow onion, fine dice
• 2 medium celery ribs, small dice
• 2 medium carrots, small dice
• 2 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 cups vegetable broth *
• 2 cups water (or broth)
• 1 – [ 14.5 oz. can ] petite diced tomatoes
• ¾ to 1 cup dry brown lentils (or green lentils) (+/-) *
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda *

Spice/Herb Ingredients:

• 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
• ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika (+/-)
• 1 ¾ teaspoons cumin (+/-)
• ¼ teaspoon dried coriander
• 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt (+/- to taste) *
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch cayenne pepper * 

Other Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Optional Toppings:

• Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (or cilantro)
• Red pepper flake
• Serve with our tasty Quinoa Flatbread *

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Instructions

1. Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl (except the bay leaf and cayenne pepper), mix well, set aside.
2. In a large ceramic/enamel-lined Dutch oven, skillet or similar stock pot, add the diced onions, celery, and carrots; sauté over medium heat until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 9 minutes.  Add a tablespoon or so of vegetable broth or water if they start to stick and/or to prevent burning.
3. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste, sauté for one minute, stirring constantly. Then add the Spice/Herb Mix (minus the bay leaf and cayenne pepper) stirring for 30 seconds until the spices release their fragrance then add all the remaining Base Ingredients and bay leaf, bring to a boil, cover with a lid, then lower to a simmer.  Simmer for 30 to 35 minutes or until the lentils tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Once the lentils are very tender, stir in the lemon juice and cayenne pepper.  Remove the bay leaf.  If you wish you to create a thick soup, use an immersion blender and pulse off and on for about 20 seconds or less, then remove the pot from the stove and allow to sit uncovered for 15 minutes.  This will allow the flavors to marry and develop.
5. Serve topped with chopped fresh parsley and red pepper flakes.

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Notes

*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.

*Brown Lentils: We used Palouse Brand Small Brown Lentils (Pardina Lentils).  You can use any dry brown or green lentil you wish.  If you prefer a thick soup, then use 1 cup of dry lentils. If you enjoy more broth, then use ¾ cup of dry lentils.  If using green lentils, please watch them closely at the 20-25 minutes mark to check their tenderness. 

*Cayenne Pepper:  This is optional.  We did not use it, but if you are looking to add a little kick, add it add the end.

*Immersion Blender:  Pureeing part of the soup with an immersion blender is optional.  If you prefer a thick soup, then use an immersion blender for a few seconds until the desired results are achieved.  You can also remove a cup or so of the soup and mash the cooked lentils with a fork and return them to the pot if you do not have an immersion blender.

*Baking Soda:  The baking soda is used in this recipe to help neutralize the acidity from the tomatoes and enhances the cooking process of the lentils.  Any time you have dry lentils/beans introduced with an acid like tomatoes, it takes the liquids longer to penetrate the cellular wall lentils/beans.  

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

*Quinoa Flatbread:  We served this with our tasty Quinoa Flatbread.  We used the Basic Quinoa Flatbread recipe, then added 1 Tablespoon of Nutritional Yeast, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and sprinkled the top with sesame seeds.

*Makes:  4-5 Servings

*Storage:  Refrigerate and use within 5 days.

This post contains affiliate links, and we may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures! For more information, see our disclosures here.