Make Lentil Soup
Lentil soup is a delicious and tasty dish that is healthy and easy to make. Lentils cook pretty quickly and easily, and once you get your ingredients together, there's not much more you have to do other than stir them occasionally to get the best results. Though most people cook their lentil soup in a pot, you can also use a crock pot or a Dutch oven to make this hearty soup. If you want to know how to make lentil soup, see Step 1 to get started.
Contents
Ingredients
Making Lentil Soup in a Pot
- 1 lb. lentils
- 1/2 head garlic
- 2 tsp. salt
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup vinegar
- Feta (optional)
- Bread (optional but highly recommended)
Making Lentil Soup in a Crock Pot
- 1 lb. green lentils
- 1 quart vegetable broth
- 4 cups water
- 4 celery ribs, diced
- 4 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 lb. spinach, roughly chopped
Making Lentil Soup in a Dutch Oven
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 lb. lentils, picked and rinsed
- 1 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes
- 2 quarts chicken/vegetable broth
- 1/2 tsp. coriander, freshly ground
- 1/2 tsp. cumin, freshly ground
- 1/2 tsp. grains of paradise, freshly ground
Steps
Making Lentil Soup in a Pot
- Clean the lentils. Pour one pound of lentils out of the bag onto a clean, flat, white surface and pick out any little rocks that might be mixed in.
- Fill up a large pot of water almost all the way.
- Clean 4-5 pieces of garlic and put them into the pot. You can add a bit more or less, depending on how much garlic you like in your food.
- Add 4 bay leaves into the pot. Cooking your soup with bay leaves will give it a distinctive flavor.
- Heat the water and other ingredients over high heat.
- Pour the lentils into the pot. Leave the pot slightly uncovered, by using a stirring ladle to prop up the cover.
- Boil the water. After the water reaches a boil, turn it down to medium heat and cook the lentils for 35-45 minutes, depending on how long it takes for them to soften.
- Check the lentils periodically for hardness. When they are soft, but not yet coming apart, they are ready. Use a fork or spoon to check on them, stirring occasionally.
- After cooking for 20 minutes, add the vinegar, olive oil, and salt to the pot. Add 1/3 cup of vinegar, 1/2 cup of olive oil, and a teaspoon or two of salt to the pot. Stir all of these into the soup and allow to boil for the remainder of the time.
- Turn off the stove and serve the soup. Once you have determined that your lentils are ready, turn off the stove, and allow the soup to cool in its pot for a while. This tasty soup can be enjoyed on its own, or served with some bread or sprinkled with Feta cheese. If you want to mix up this recipe, next time, then try making one of these varieties:
- Lentil soup with lemon and dill. Just add 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1/2 cup of chopped fresh dill to the soup and stir well.
- Lentil soup with smoked paprika. Just add one teaspoon of smoked paprika for an extra kick.
- Lentil soup with sausage or bacon. Add 1/4 pound of chopped bacon, pancetta, or sausage and cook it in the pot until it's just a bit crisp. Then, add the other ingredients. You can even drain the extra fat or use it instead of olive oil.
Making Lentil Soup in a Crock Pot
- Combine all of the ingredients except the spinach in a crock pot. Place 1 lb. of green lentils, {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of vegetable broth, 4 cups of water, 4 diced celery ribs, 4 diced carrots, 1 diced onion, 3-4 minced garlic cloves, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 tsp. of dried oregano, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, 2 bay leaves, 1 pinch of cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste in a large crock pot. Stir the ingredients well to combine them.
- Cook the soup on low heat for 8-10 hours. Cooking times vary slightly depending on how long it takes the lentils to soften without becoming too soft, and how long it takes for the soup to thicken. When it's ready, turn off the heat.
- Stir in the spinach. Stir in 1/2 lb. of spinach and let it sit in the pot for a few minutes until it's completely wilted. You may think that you're putting in way too much spinach, but as the spinach wilts, it will get much smaller.
- Serve. Give this soup just a few minutes to cool down and then enjoy it on its own or with a slice of French bread. If you want it to be really creamy, you can even add a teaspoon of sour cream.
Making Lentil Soup in a Dutch Oven
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Place 2 tbsp. olive oil in a Dutch oven that is 6 quarts large. Wait for it to heat up for at least one minute before you add more ingredients.
- Add the carrot, onion, celery, and salt to the oven. Add 1 cup of chopped onion, 1/2 cup of finely chopped carrot, 1/2 cup of finely chopped celery, and 2 tsp. of kosher salt to the Dutch oven. Cook these ingredients until the onion becomes translucent. This should take about 6 or 7 minutes. Stir the ingredients a bit to combine them.
- Add the tomatoes, lentils, broth, coriander, and grains of paradise to the oven and bring the ingredients to a boil. Now, add the rest of the ingredients to the oven: 1 cup of peeled and chopped tomatoes, 1 pound of lentils, 2 quarts of chicken/vegetable broth, 1/2 tsp. of coriander, 1/2 tsp. of cumin, and 1/2 tsp. of grains of paradise. Stir the ingredients well to combine them. After that, heat the oven to high heat and wait until you've brought the ingredients to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 35-40 more minutes. Cook the ingredients for the soup at a low simmer until the lentils are tender. You can test them with a fork from time to time. If you'd like the consistency to be a bit thicker, then you can puree the ingredients in a stick blender before serving.
- Serve. Enjoy this hearty soup with a baguette. It should only take a few minutes to cool down and to be ready to eat. If you have leftovers, just refrigerate the soup and enjoy it for the next few days.
Tips
- Lentils are high in iron which is necessary for healthy blood.
- A full pot will make anywhere between 6 to 12 servings.
- If you are in a hurry to eat your lentil soup, put some into a wide, flat, deep plate and they will cool faster than in a bowl.
- Some lentils require pre-soaking in water for several hours. These are the harder variety, usually found everywhere except in America.
- Make sure to put the olive oil, vinegar and salt in early enough to allow them to fully mix in the soup.
- Sliced carrots, onions, and celery add a terrific flavor to lentil soup. Cooked scrambled ground beef is tasty in lentil soup also.
- Eat any kind of bread (except sliced bread) or rusks with your lentils.
- American lentils are usually softer and do not require pre-soaking.
- A cup or two of uncooked pasta (such as small shells or ditalini) is all you need to turn your traditional lentil soup into Sicilian lentil soup. (Be sure to add an equal amount of water, and bring to a boil before adding the pasta. Stir frequently while the pasta cooks.)
- You can even add slices of feta cheese (not crumbled) for some extra flavor.
- If you presoak your lentils, be aware that they will require significantly less cooking time.
Warnings
- Make sure to leave the cover partially off as the soup will foam up and could put the flame out, filling the room with dangerous flammable gas.
- Do not forget the lentil soup on the stove unattended. Lentils, just like anything else, burn when cooked too long.
- If you want to make this for friends, try making it a couple times to get more experience making it.
Things You'll Need
- A large pot
- A stirring spoon, ladle
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