This spicy lentil soup recipe is filling and delicious!
I was so excited about discovering one-pound bags of organic beans marked down to 50 cents that I did not look carefully at the varieties I was picking up. At first, I was disappointed when I realized that one of the bags I brought home turned out to be lentils because I was planning on making bean soups. Then I remembered that lentils are easier and quicker to cook than beans, so I decided to come up with a quick vegetable soup recipe using lentils.
Lentils do not require soaking like beans. They only take 20 minutes to cook, smell great while cooking, and are quite tasty. To save time making lentil soup, I cook the lentils in the soup pot for 10 minutes, then add the rest of the soup ingredients and cook them while the lentils finish cooking.
My pickiest eater has declared this his new favorite soup and went back for seconds and I’ve decided lentils are my new favorite frugal source of protein.
Spicy Lentil Soup Recipe
The vegetable lentil soup recipe includes tomatoes, peppers, and spices which add a little bite to it.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup dried lentils
- 3 cups water
- 4 cups vegetable broth (How to Make Vegetable Broth)
- 4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced
- 2 cups diced tomatoes (or a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes with the juices)
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon marjoram
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions:
- Drizzle the olive oil over the bottom of a large soup pot. Turn heat to medium-high. Add the diced onion to the olive oil and saute for 4 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and saute for 1 more minute.
- Add the lentils and water to the pot. Raise the temperature to high. Bring the water to a boil. Place the lid on the pot tilted, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth, carrots, celery, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, and diced tomatoes to the pot. Stir in the thyme, marjoram, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once the soup reaches a boil, lower the temperature to medium, but make sure the soup continues at a low boil.
- Cook for 10 minutes or until the carrots are fork-tender.
Printable Recipe for Spicy Lentil Soup
Spicy Lentil Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup dried lentils
- 4 cups water or vegetable broth
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 2 carrots sliced
- 2 cups diced tomatoes
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 jalapeno pepper diced
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon marjoram
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Drizzle olive oil over the bottom of a large soup pot. Turn heat to medium-high. Add the diced onion to the olive oil and saute for 4 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and saute for 1 more minute.
- Add the lentils and water to the pot. Raise the temperature to high. Bring the water to a boil. Place the lid on the pot tilted, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth, carrots, celery, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, and diced tomatoes to the pot. Stir in the thyme, marjoram, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once the soup reaches a boil, lower the temperature to medium, but make sure the soup continues at a low boil.
- Cook for 10 minutes or until the carrots are fork-tender.
Nutrition
More Lentil Recipes
Curry Steak with Spicy Lentils
Do you have a favorite recipe using lentils?
Jenn says
I have been wanting to try a lentil soup, I hear they’re good for you – I’ll keep this in mind!
Jan says
This is a wonderful Lentil Soup recipe
Moroccan Spiced Lentil Soup
1 fennel bulb chopped fine
1 red onion chopped fine
1 yellow onion chopped fine
¼ c. olive oil
2 -14 ounce cans chopped tomatoes with their liquid
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of crushed chillies
2 cloves garlic chopped finely
Pinch of saffron
4 cups vegetable stock
1 c. dried lentils picked through and rinsed
4 sprigs cilantro
4 sprigs parsley
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp sugar
salt & pepper
1 can chick peas drained & rinsed
Charmoula
Mix 4 tbsp. cumin, garlic, jalapeno pepper and lemon juice in food processor to make a puree. Pick cilantro
Off stems and add to food processor along with lemon zest and salt and pepper. Pulse mixture a couple of times scraping it down from the side of the bowl in between pulses. The mixture should resemble a rustic pesto
Place in tightly closed container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Soup
Heat oil in soup pot over medium heat
Add chopped fennel and gently cook for a few minutes while fennel releases its natural juices
Add red and yellow onion and sauté until soft and translucent
Add tomatoes with their liquid and turn heat up until mixture comes to a complete simmer and add the ginger turmeric, cinnamon garlic and saffron and crushed chillies
Let mixture cook together for about 5 minutes and then add broth, lentils cilantro and parsley sprigs and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
Add sugar salt and pepper and stir mixture a couple of times and then turn heat down to low and cover pot and let simmer for about 25 minutes
Add chick peas and let heat for about 10 minutes
Check seasoning and season again with salt and pepper . Remove bay leaves, cilantro and parsley sprigs and serve with 1 tbsp of Charmoula on top.
Nicole Feliciano says
Love lentils. Tis the season for soup!
Pam says
This sounds and looks delicious and I must give lentils a try!
Alea says
Oh Deb, Your soup sounds wonderful! This is definitely going on my menu this week!