Lentil and Vegetable Soup (Printable Version)

Hearty soup with tender lentils and roasted vegetables for a nourishing meal.

# What You Need:

→ Lentils

01 - 1 cup dried green or brown lentils, rinsed

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
03 - 2 celery stalks, diced
04 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Broth & Seasoning

10 - 6 cups vegetable broth
11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Finishing

16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional
17 - Juice of ½ lemon, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F.
02 - Toss carrots, celery, zucchini, bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes until lightly caramelized.
03 - Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Stir in rinsed lentils, roasted vegetables, vegetable broth, thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes until lentils are tender.
05 - Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice as desired.
06 - Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The roasted vegetables give you that deep, sweet flavor without any complicated technique.
  • Lentils cook down just right in 25 minutes, so you're never waiting around wondering if it'll ever be done.
  • It's genuinely good for you, but tastes like comfort food, so nobody needs to know it's healthy.
02 -
  • Don't skip roasting the vegetables—I learned this the hard way by rushing straight to simmering, and the soup turned out pale and one-dimensional instead of rich and complex.
  • Check your lentils around the 20-minute mark because older lentils take longer to soften, and you don't want them turning to mush or staying stubbornly firm.
03 -
  • If you want extra richness, stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste right after you cook the garlic—it adds a subtle depth that makes people wonder what your secret ingredient is.
  • Keep the bay leaf visible as you simmer so you remember to remove it before serving (I learned this after fishing out pieces from my bowl once).
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