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.

Ingredients

Scale

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

Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl (except the bay leaf and cayenne pepper), mix well, set aside.
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.
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.
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.
Serve topped with chopped fresh parsley and red pepper flakes.

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.