Description
This hearty and flavorful Lentil Soup is a delightful blend of nutritious ingredients simmered to perfection. Featuring brown or green lentils, fire roasted tomatoes, and fresh vegetables like fennel, carrots, and spinach, this recipe creates a comforting and wholesome meal perfect for any season. Easy to prepare on the stovetop, it offers a rich depth of flavor from a combination of spices and a touch of garlic added at the end to preserve its aromatic brilliance.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 fennel bulb, diced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 cups baby spinach (or chopped standard spinach)
- 1 clove garlic, grated
Dry Goods & Canned
- 1 ½ cups dry brown or green lentils
- 28-ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
Liquids & Oils
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 quart vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Prepare the Vegetables: Dice the onion, fennel bulb, and peel and dice the carrots. Grate the garlic and set it aside; it will be stirred into the soup at the end to preserve its fresh flavor.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and fennel and sauté for 6 to 7 minutes until they become translucent and fragrant.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Add the diced carrots, dry lentils, diced fire roasted tomatoes, vegetable broth, water, kosher salt, paprika, and dried oregano to the pot, stirring to combine.
- Simmer the Soup: Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat as necessary and let it simmer for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and cooked through.
- Finish and Serve: Stir in the baby spinach and the grated garlic, then allow the soup to rest for 5 minutes off the heat to let the flavors meld. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For a creamier texture, you can partially blend the soup with an immersion blender before adding the spinach and garlic.
- The soup stores well refrigerated for up to 4 days, or frozen for 3 to 4 months for convenient meal prep.
- Using fire roasted tomatoes adds a smoky depth but can be substituted with regular diced tomatoes if unavailable.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice before serving to brighten the flavors if desired.
- This recipe can be easily adjusted for Instant Pot cooking by following alternate instructions beginning at step 2.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 1 1/2 cups)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 12g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
