One-Pot Hearty Lentil Vegetable Soup

Rainy days call for a hot, steaming, comforting bowl of lentil soup that's full of veggies.  This one-pot version is quick and easy enough to make on a weekday.

One-Pot Hearty Lentil Vegetable Soup

A bowl of hot steaming soup, some crusty bread, and possibly a sandwich is a go to meal of our whenever the weather is cold and dreary.  Even though it is March we've had rain in Southern California almost daily.  So it's time to make a big pot of hearty soup that is full of veggies and lentils. 

With about 10 ingredients, most of which you may already have, you can have this on the table in no time.  We have our standard onion, carrots, and celery, along with some tomatoes, spinach, and lentils.  It is spiced nicely with fresh thyme and some crushed red pepper flakes.  This is one comforting soup!

All made in one-pot, so clean up is a breeze, and it will be done in about 40 minutes so it's easy enough to make on a weeknight.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• yellow onion
• carrots
• celery
• garlic
• low-sodium chicken broth
• brown lentils
• 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
• fresh thyme
• crushed red pepper
• baby spinach
• red-wine vinegar
• Optional topping: Parmesan cheese

Substitutions and Variations

• Add vegetables like zucchini or mushrooms

• Add chopped kale instead of spinach

• Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian dish

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

• Great for a Dutch Oven like this one.

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One-Pot Hearty Lentil Vegetable Soup

serves 4-6

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, diced

1 cup carrots, diced

1 cup celery, diced 
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ cups brown lentils
15 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 cups baby spinach
1 ½ tablespoons red-wine vinegar

Optional topping:  Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds.  Add broth, lentils, tomatoes, thyme, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.  

Turn heat up to medium-high heat and bring to a boil.  Then reduce the heat to medium-low.  Cover the pot and cook 15 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  You may add a littler water as needed to thin to desired consistency.

Stir in the spinach and cook another 5 to 10 minutes. Add in the vinegar and stir to combine. Serve in soup bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of Parmesan if you would like.  

adapted from: Eating Well

Summer Fresh Recipe Series: Mediterranean Style Lentil Salad

This Mediterranean Style Lentil Salad is filled with protein, bursting with summer flavors from the tomatoes and cucumbers, and the tangy bite of feta cheese.  All doused in a wonderfully light Mediterranean vinaigrette.  Perfect along side all your summer dishes.  

Mediterranean Style Lentil Salad

Another great salad to add to our Summer Fresh Recipe Series.  This highlights summers fresh tomatoes and cucumbers.  Tossed with fresh spring greens, feta cheese, lentils, and a light and bright homemade dressing and you have a great side salad.

Perfect for all the summer grilling dishes, this salad goes with fish, chicken, pork or steak.  It's filled with healthy items but it is hardy on it's own.  This is one tasty salad!  Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• olive oil
• red wine vinegar
• dried oregano
• spring greens
• cherry tomatoes
• cucumber
• parsley
• feta cheese
• brown or green lentils

Substitutions and Variations

• Add chicken for a main dish salad
• Omit the greens
• Try Persian cucumbers
• Add fresh herbs such as basil or mint
• Try this with ricotta salata or goat cheese
• Substitute spinach, kale, or swiss chard for the greens

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Make a batch of lentils ahead of time and serve them as a side dish, stir in rice, toss in salads.

• Mason jars are great for making and storing salad dressing.

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Mediterranean Style Lentil Salad

serves 4

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salad

4 cups spring greens
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 large English cucumber, diced
1/3 cup parsley
1/3 cup Feta crumbled
1/2 cup brown lentils cooked and cooled according to package directions

In a small bowl or mason jar add the ingredients for the dressing whisking or shaking until combined.

In a large bowl add the salad ingredients.  Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.  Serve.

Romanian Lentil Soup

One thing I love about living in Los Angeles is the diversity of cultures you come across.  

One of my dear friends is a Romanian woman.  A social butterfly who has a big, big heart.  A passion of hers is cooking, not just any dishes but...Romanian dishes.  

Recently, she's been sharing quite a few of her recipes and her secrets to cooking Romanian style.  Quite different from LA cooking, using international ingredients found in local ethnic food markets.  

The other day she brought me some Romanian Lentil Soup to try.  WOW!  Such flavor.  I would say it was one of the best soups I've had.  She prefers pink lentils over the brown ones, as they are more tender when cooked.  You can easily pick up a bag a Trader Joe's.  The rest of the vegetables are standard.  The only unusual item is the Vegeta, which is a powdered bullion flavor which can only be found in ethnic stores.  So as a substitute you could use chicken bullion cubes and everything will be fine.

Simple to make, and soooo delishhh!  I hope you try this dish.  It's wonderful to experience the flavors of another country in your own home.   


Romanian Lentil Soup


3 onions
2 big carrots, peeled
6 rib of celery
1 container of cherry tomatoes
2 red bell peppers
2 parsnip
1 T olive oil
1 bag of pink lentils (Trader Joe's)
3-4 cups water
1 T Vegeta or 2 cubes of chicken bullion
1 t paprika
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 t fresh thyme

Chop with the food processor the first six ingredients until finely diced but not pureed. 

Saute all the vegetables with olive oil in a dutch oven for 15 minutes then add the lentils and add water as needed.  

Make sure to add enough water to create a nice broth. Add chicken bullion, paprika and some crushed pepper for flavor.  Let the soup come to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add thyme and stir.  Serve.