Lentil soup is one of the client and family go to’s I’ve been making for decades. It cooks up pretty quickly, (since lentils don’t require soaking) and it can be changed around to suit a variety of tastes. Add in leftover cooked vegetables that you have on hand, switch out fall produce for asparagus or snow peas in the spring. Adjust the thickness by adding more stock or less for thicker soup. Spice it up with some crushed red pepper or a dollop of pesto on top. Yes, lots of options in this little bowl of cozy goodness…get cooking !
Lentil Soup
a classic fall and winter soup that is always a winner, cooks up quickly and so many variations to use seasonal produce.
Ingredients
- 2 cups lentils, brown picked through and thoroughly washed
- 8 cups water or stock (vegetable or chicken )
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil or avocado oil
- 1 medium onion minced
- 2 each carrots, scrubbed small dice
- 2 each celery stalks small dice
- 3 cloves garlic, medium peeled, minced
- 2 each bay leaves
- 2 tsp thyme leaves, dry
- 1 2" piece kombu
- 2 cups sweet potato or winter squash medium dice
- pinch sea salt
- 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
Instructions
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Wash lentils and pick over carefully to remove any debris
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Heat large stock pot over medium heat, add oil, onions, carrots and celery and saute for a few minutes until they start to soften. Add garlic and stir to combine saute for 1-2 minutes. Add drained lentils to sauteed vegetables
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Add stock, bay leaves, thyme and kombu, stir to combine. Bring soup to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook at a simmer for 35-40 minutes until lentils start to get soft.
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Add sweet potato or winter squash, stir to combine and continue cooking until vegetables are soft and lentils cooked through.
Add salt and lemon juice to taste
Variations:
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-Add 1/2 cup of minced dried apricots
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-Add 2-3 Tbsp of white mise dissolved in 1/2 cup of soup right before serving
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-Add fresh chopped parsley, chives , cilantro or scallions at end of cooking
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- Add 1-2 Tbsp. cumin powder to vegetables while sauting for additional flavor
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-Add 1-2 Tbsp. curry powder to vegetables while sauting for additional flavor
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- Add other seasonal vegetables; mushrooms, zucchini, string beans, potato or bits and pieces of leftover cooked vegetables toward the end of cooking.
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- add small diced pieces of cooked chicken sausage or sweet sausage