Homestyle Lentil Soup with Tomatoes
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This is a rustic, satisfying lentil soup made with basic ingredients, including dried brown or green lentils, Italian-style seasonings and canned tomatoes. It seriously delivers on flavor and is so good to stash in your fridge for a simple meal!
Recipe snapshot:
- TASTY: Although my lentil soup recipe uses basic pantry ingredients, I made sure to season it up! It tastes complex and balanced with earthy and bright flavors.
- A SIMPLE ONE-BOWL MEAL: My mom made a version of this soup at least once a week when I was a kid. It’s wholesome, hearty and makes a complete meal. You can serve it with a side of crusty bread, or stir in cooked pasta or crumbled sausage.
- PERFECT FRIDGE STASH: Like all great soups, lentil soup just might taste even better the next day (and the day after that)…
Lentil soup ingredients
- Lentils: Dried lentils are as humble as can be. These tiny legumes come in a variety of colors and are quick cooking. The best lentils to use for soup are brown or olive-green ones, which don’t need to be soaked. I don’t recommend using tiny slate-green French-style (Puy) lentils for this soup — they don’t become as creamy and soft after boiling (which happens to make them perfect for my marinated French lentil salad). Red lentils absorb almost double the amount of liquid and turn into a puree. Use them for this red coconut curry soup instead.
- Tomatoes: The soup is bolstered with tomato paste (to thicken and add rich flavor) and canned chopped tomatoes that add color and bright flavor to the broth.
- Aromatics: I use chopped onions, celery, and garlic along with dried oregano, crushed red pepper, and a bay leaf. I don’t use carrots in this soup because they don’t soften enough in the relatively short time the soup cooks, which is about 30 minutes.
- Parmesan: Toss in a Parmesan rind if you have one! It releases umami flavor and slightly thickens the soup. Otherwise, garnish your bowl with grated Parmesan when serving.
- “Secret” ingredient: A little trick I learned from my Italian grandma — a splash of red wine vinegar rounds out the earthy taste of the lentils.
Cooking steps (overview)
1. Spread the lentils on a tray or plate. Sort through them and discard any broken ones or debris. 2. Soften chopped onions and celery in a heavy soup pot. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, oregano and crushed red pepper. 3. Add the lentils. Pour in broth and canned chopped tomatoes. Add a bay leaf and a Parmesan rind, if you have one.
4. Simmer the soup until the lentils have softened and swelled. 5. Remove about a cup of the soup and blend until smooth, then stir the puree back into the pot. 6. Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley or basil over the soup and serve.
Homestyle Lentil Soup with Tomatoes
This is a rustic, satisfying lentil soup made with basic ingredients, including dried brown or green lentils, Italian-style seasonings and canned tomatoes. It really delivers on flavor and is so good to stash in your fridge for a simple meal.
Equipment
Soup pot
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion, about 1 medium onion
- 1 cup chopped celery, 2-3 stalks
- 2 teaspoons grated or finely chopped garlic
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 14-ounce (400 ml) can chopped or crushed tomatoes
- ½ pound (225 g) dried brown or green lentils, (1¼ cups)
- 5-6 cups vegetable broth, or chicken broth
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 dried bay leaf, optional
- Small Parmesan rind, optional
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, or basil
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Place a large, heavy pot (such as a Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion and celery and stir. Cover the pot and cook 5 minutes to soften the vegetables.
- Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano and red pepper. Cook for about 15 seconds, until aromatic. Add the lentils, tomatoes, 5 cups broth, 2 teaspoons salt and black pepper to taste. Toss in the bay leaf and cheese rind, if you're using.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high until the liquid comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and the soup looks thickened. If the lentils are older, they may take up to 45 minutes. Remove the rind and bay leaf and discard.
- Scoop out a generous cup of the soup and puree in a blender. You can also briefly pulse a hand blender right in the pot. At this point, you can add the remaining cup of broth if the soup seems too thick.
- Add the vinegar and parsley to the soup and stir. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the soup warm in bowls, with some grated cheese over each portion. Add a side of warm crusty bread for dipping!
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- The soup will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator and 1-2 months frozen.
- Depending on the age and freshness of your lentils, their cooking time can vary. To cut down on cooking time, you can briefly soak the lentils while you’re prepping other ingredients.
- Serving ideas: Stir in a big handful of greens (spinach, chopped kale, etc.) until wilted. Add about a cup of cooked pasta, such as orzo or tiny shells.
Nutrition
Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 868mg | Potassium: 545mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 808IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
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I was just wondering, could I use red lentils instead. Thanks.
Hi Gerry! Great question. Red lentils absorb almost double the amount of liquid and would make the soup very thick. I suggest cooking this red coconut curry soup instead.