This hearty, veggie-packed soup eats like a meal and makes a perfect lunch all week long during these cold, winter months.
We woke up to snow this morning. SNOW. About 3 inches I’d guess. Though this isn’t completely out of the range of normal for North Carolina, the excitement that builds in the community the day before an event such as this is invigorating… and I can’t wait to see the girls’ faces!
When I heard the buzz, and saw that all flights and schools were closed before a single snow flake fell, I knew I had to get prepared. Of course the bread aisle was picked clean, but I strategized and hit up the wine aisle first. #winning. I followed it up by grabbing an extra sack of bread flour because I foresaw a lot of homemade pizzas for dinner in our two day future. But what about lunches?
Lucky for me, I have a fresh batch of this vegetable lentil soup ready to fill our tummies and warm us up after the snow tromping and sledding that are sure to occupy all morning.
Oh let’s be real, putting snow gear on a 4 year old and 1 year old is sure to take up half the morning by itself!
But the soup, oh this soup.
It’s hearty and packed with nutritional goodness. With the protein-packed lentils and diced vegetables, it is a wonderfully healthy, complete meal. I often make a batch to eat through the week during the winter or freeze it to heat up for a quick dinner with a warm, crusty hunk of bread (or a biscuit!).
[Tweet “Mmm, this vegetable lentil soup from @ahealthyslice is the perfect meal for a snowy day!”]
If it’s snowing where you are, make some today to feel that delicious satisfaction of a soup that will fill you up without weighing you down. Otherwise, pin it and add it to your Sunday food prep, taking care of a week’s worth of lunches in one swift swoop.
Enjoy!
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Vegetable Lentil Soup
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This hearty, veggie-packed soup eats like a meal and makes a perfect lunch all week long during these cold, winter months.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown lentils
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 c onion, diced (about 1/2 a medium-size onion)
- 1 c red pepper, diced (about 1 small)
- 1/2 c carrots, diced (about 2 medium carrots)
- 1/2 c celery, chopped (about 2 large stalks)
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- salt to taste (usually 2-3 large pinches for me)
- 64 oz (8 cups) vegetable broth
- 3 oz baby spinach, roughly chopped (3 cups)
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- Parmesan shavings for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Pick over the lentils and discard any broken or misshapen lentils. Rinse in a colander under and drain thoroughly.
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot, celery and red pepper. Stir constantly until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the broth, lentils, tomatoes (with juices), paprika, cumin and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, blend about 1/3-1/2 of the soup to create a thicker texture, but we sure to leave some lentils and veggies intact. You can also do this by scooping 1/3 of the soup into a blender, blending, then returning to the pot.
- Stir the chopped spinach into the soup. Cook, uncovered, just until the spinach wilts, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the white wine vinegar. Serve immediately.
What is your favorite soup for cold, winter days?
Joanna says
This sounds perfect for a cozy night in! My parents are coming this weekend, and I always love soups for feeding a crowd. YUM!
Kathy says
Love soup!!! Have fun in the snow. Yes, it will take more time getting ready to play outside than you will actually be outside…maybe. 🙂
Noa says
Yea! I love your soup recipes! I actually am making your black bean soup today. I also love to have chili on a cold day.
Alyssa @ renaissancerunnergirl says
Looks like the perfect lunch for a winter’s day of play!
Parita @ myinnershakti says
I would love nothing more than to have a batch of this to last me the week! Just pinned the recipe so I can make it soon!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Looks awesome…pinned!
Melissa says
I do love lentils. I hope you’ve enjoyed your snow day. 🙂
Emily S says
I made this soup on Saturday since it was so cold here in Atlanta! I also added kidney beans – it was perfect and really simple to make! 🙂
Amanda says
This was delicious, and so easy! While its not too cold here (AZ), it was nice to have on hand for lunch. My husband even took left overs to work, and he hardly ever does that. Thank you.
★★★★★