This is the kind of soup with broth that tastes just as good, if not better, than the actual add-ins. Is it normal to want to guzzle the broth? Well, it is now, my friends. It’s actually a miracle I have any taste buds left because I’ve burned my tongue so many times since dedicating the last two weeks for cookbook soup makin’. After concocting 6 different soups and stews my freezer is very happy. Just don’t open it because you’re likely to get pummeled in the face by glass Tupperware. I was never one for patience and organization, but I can make a mean soup.
Chili powder, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper create a downright irresistible flavourful broth bursting with nutrition. I tell ya, it’ll clear your nose in no time. Have tissue nearby! While it does contain a medley of spices, I wouldn’t say it’s overly “spicy”, unless of course you go crazy with the cayenne pepper. I just added a bit of each spice at a time and tasted, adjusted, tasted, adjusted. That’s the beauty of soup – the recipe is never set in stone. Go wild.
Since most vegetable soups don’t hold me over very long, I added a cup of red lentils to amp up the protein (and fibre). Red lentils are one of my favourite ingredients to add into basic soups! They take a mere 15 minutes to cook and it’s all made in one pot. No pre-cooking. No soaking. They also “fluff up” (technical term) and add a lot of body to the broth. This soup went from having almost no protein to over 10 grams per serving. Add a hunk of bread/crackers + piece of fruit and you have yourself a nice little meal to enjoy with loved ones.
Spiced Red Lentil, Tomato, and Kale Soup
Yield
6 cups (1.4 L)
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
A flavourful, quick-to-prepare vegetable soup amped up with protein and fibre-packed red lentils. It's so good you'll want to drink the broth!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 (14-ounce/398 mL) can diced tomatoes, with juices
- 5 to 6 cups (1.25 to 1.5L) low-sodium vegetable broth, as needed
- 1 cup uncooked red lentils, rinsed and drained
- Fine grain sea salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 handfuls destemmed and chopped kale leaves or baby spinach
Directions
- In a large pot, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil for about 4 to 5 minutes over medium heat. Add in the celery and sauté for a few minutes more.
- Stir in the bay leaf and the spices (cumin, chili powder, coriander, paprika, cayenne).
- Stir in the can of tomatoes (including the juice), broth, and lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and then simmer, uncovered, for about 20 to 25 minutes, until lentils are tender and fluffy.
- Stir in kale or spinach and cook until just wilted. Serve and enjoy! The cooled soup can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days, or you can freeze it in a freezer-safe container (leave 1-inch at the top for expansion) for 1 to 2 months.
Tip:
- * This soup is even more satisfying when served with a hunk of toasted bread.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)…and in the words of Stephanie Tanner, whoa baby!
The first time I made this about 6 weeks ago, my husband and I both suffered from just-one-more-small-bowl syndrome…he had 4 bowls, I had 5. Since that time, I have made it 4 more times. To describe this recipe as “crack” does not do it justice. It is bursting with the right amount of flavor. When I make it, I don’t use the kale or any leafy green (just not my thing). For the broth, I usually use 4 cups of boxed broth, and then I make the rest of the broth using 8 cups of distilled water (I double my recipe, cause who doesn’t like leftovers) and two table spoons of reduced sodium “Better than Bouillon” Vegetable base. After it starts boiling, I add the Himalayan pink salt until it tastes good. Seriously, if you have not made this hearty soup, you have no idea what you are missing.
I made it yesterday. We really loved it. Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. My 2 year-old and I are devouring it right now. I love the spices; This is the first time I’ve ever cooked with smoked paprika and I liked it so much I doubled the amount. Other than that I made it just as written and I will definitely make it again. Thanks!
Your recipe is simmering on my stove as I type this. I substituted Callaloo from my garden in place of Kale and it is delicious. I had a question regarding your spices. Are you using true red chili powder as used in many indian recipes or are you using some kind of mexican chili blend? The reason I ask is with two tsp of indian chili powder the cayenne seems redundant. It does, however, clear the sinuses.
Just made this tonight. BEST.SOUP.EVER.
Seriously, my husband and I LOVED it and I will be making this again and again and again! Thank you for this fantastic recipe!
Since finding this recipe, I make it once a week! My family loves!!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe! I first made it one year ago, and have since shared the recipe with many, many family and friends. It’s delicious and forgiving. I usually make with Mirepoix, which has carrots, too, and substitute spinach for the kale. YUM! YUM!
Made this today and boy was it just delightful on this slightly chilly day. A great way to get in those greens and smoked paprika is probably my favorite spice to work with. Delish!
A wonderful soup, thank you! I didn’t have smoked paprika specifically, so I added two drops of liquid smoke, and I couldn’t stop with the ladle!
This recipe is one I MUST commit to memory! I added some mushrooms, curry powder, fresh cilantro, lemon pepper, and Cholula….oh my goodness, I couldn’t stop eating it!!! Thank you Angela for yet another brilliant concoction that is absolutely to die for.
I have made this today, I think for the 30th time. I love it so much. I have filled a bottle with it to give to my good friend tomorrow. She is also into healthy cooking. She is polish and she actually brought me loads of red lentils from Poland because it is so cheap over there and expensive over here. I just thought she has to taste one of the things I make with it. I’m curious about her reaction. This is the third recipe I have made for her from your book. She always asks me for the recipes but she doesn’t speak English, so I have to translate haha. I have also made Heather’s toasted super seed bread to try together with her. So I’m curious! Been cooking your recipes every day for the past two months! Thank you for all your work. Wouldn’t know what to do without it/them!
This is one delicious soup!
I made this today, and it was absolutely delicious! I used cabbage instead of kale (chopped fine and added with the tomatoes to allow for cook time) as that’s what I had on hand. I think you could throw anything in here and it would be fabulous. The perfect soup for a cold winter day. Thanks so much!
Just made this for my sick girlfriend and she’s overjoyed. THANKS!
Angela, this was so good! We followed the recipe but added about double the lentils (because we have 3 teenage boys, and also the bag was nearly empty and didn’t want to save them!) but the soup came out perfect. I imagine it was slightly more hearty with the extra lentils, but pretty close to the recipe. It did end up feeding all 5 of us, and I had one leftover for lunch the next day. It was good leftover too. Thanks for a great recipe!
This soup was DELICIOUS! Even a meat eater would love it. So incredibly flavorful and hearty, perfect for cold weather. I wanted to guzzle the broth too! Please, more recipes like this, I wouldn’t change a thing! : ) p.s and super easy too!
Ahhhh! I forgot to rinse and drain the lentils! I made it yesterday for dinner tonight and am wondering if I should not eat it?? Is it okay?
Thanks!!!!
Does it matter if you use red lentils or green ones?? Do they have a different flavor?
Hi Angela.
Quick question is the broth low sodium veg broth or regular. I just made detox soup from OSG cookbook I got this week and used low sodium veg broth and it seemed to lack salt so I wanted to double check before I tried this soup?
THANKS
My lentils weren’t done in 25 minutes (or even the extra 20 mins with the pot covered).
I finally took it off the heat and hope the lentils will soak up enough water to become softer and fluffy.
I used Trader Joe’s red split lentils. They’re tiny, so I cannot figure out why they didn’t cook faster. Any ideas?
The soup is delicious though.
Hi Lynne, I’ve heard that is lentils are old and super dry they can take an unusual amount of time to cook. I wonder if this was the case with yours? I always find red lentils cook in around 15 minutes…not long at all. Hope the next batch goes better!
Thank you, Angela! :)
I really loved this soup! I made it for my husband for dinner and ate it all week for lunch. Thanks for the great recipe =)
has anyone figured out the nutritional information for this recipes… Ie cals, carbs, protein, etc? I made it and loved it and want to input it into my plate app. Thanks!
Loralee, you can input any recipe into the cronometer website (this can be done with a free account) and it works the nutritional information out for you.
This has been my favorite soup since I got the “Oh She Glows” cookbook. It is so easy to make, delicious and satisfying! I’m going to make it again for dinner tonight. I think I’ll try it with spinach this time. Thanks for the great recipe!
just bought your cookbook and made this. yum
This is wonderful. I subbed the diced tomatoes for fire roasted diced tomatoes because that’s what I had on hand. While neither I nor my husband are vegan. (He is a dedicated meat eater while I am a dedicated soup eater.) he loved it. There are only a handful of meatless meals that he truly enjoys and this is one. I’m a firm believer that soup is always better the next day so I made it up the night before and then when I heated it up on the stove the next day I added the spinach. (I can’t have kale) I’m so happy I came across this recipe!
I made this soup for supper yesterday and it was so flavourful and comforting. Two big thumbs up! :)
I’ve been searching for soup recipes that are Eat to Live friendly and preferably have beans and so I tried this and was amazed by how delicious it was. I’m sad that I’m full. :)
I hate to be a party pooper, but I didn’t like this soup. It was indeed spicy, but overall, it was rather bland… I added lots of liquid smoke, balsamic vinegar and tamari and then it was alright.
Hi Angela,
I love this soup and make it several times a month so there is always a container in my freezer. Do you know what the nutritional breakdown is? I tried to use an online tool, but the numbers seemed a little wacky. Perhaps you know of a tool that works.
I love your site and recipes.
Thanks!
Anna
Tonight, I’m tired and don’t want to cook anything.
I go in the kitchen and pull out the rillette and a slice of bread, put the avocado and mayo next to my toast-in-progress. I look around and think: “I could make a salad if I add a tomato and white beans. But I’m cold, I need something to warm me up. Should I reheat the beans? with what?”
While I start munching on the rilletted bread, I look into my pantry: “oh, red lentils! easy peasy!”
While the water takes its time to reach a boil, I google “what spices with red lentils”?
A few recipes that includes red lentils pop up. That’s not what I was looking for, but I still take a look at it. I check your blog post, because I remember visiting your website several times.
I’ve already started the lentils, so I give up the onion-and-garlic-sauteed-in-oil phase. I just add the spices in the water: cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt.
After a few minutes, I carefully remove half of the lentils (you know, just in case this cooking improv turn out too spicy, salty or disastry, I’d still have this safe half).
As soon as the lentils are almost cooked but not yet fluffy, I add slices of italian tomato and some young baby spinach leaves, plus some tomato paste.
When it’s done, it looks, smells and taste good. Although, something is missing. (In a previous life, I would have add a spoonful of sour cream. But I’ve stopped purchasing this food long ago to avoid binge-eating on it). I’m not sure if it needs more spices or more salt. So I try a bit of both, by adding some salt and some tomato paste. Perfect!
Thank you for the inspiration, Angela!
Looking forward to trying this recipe ’tis the season for soup. And since I have an abundance of three differeint types of kale growing in my garden I always like different ways to use it. Wondering if you can send me the frozen vegan recipes? Would like to try some of the recipes in there too. Great job on keeping me eat healthy!
Of all the soups in your cookbook, this is my go to soup, time and time again. Its my all time FAVE! In fact, I’m making AGAIN tonight :)
Do you think this recipe could be made in a slow cooker? It sounds amazing!
I made a batch of it in a slow cooker. I sautéed the onions and garlic, then put everything into a slow cooker and cooked on low for 4 hours. It turned out great.
Absolutely great recipe—incredibly easy yet incredibly tasty.
I made the soup according to direction and it was good, but I wanted spectacular (there is always one in the crowd…) and decided to blend 2 red peppers from a jar I had opened to make red pepper salad dressing. It added another layer to this already wonderful soup and I’ve been raving about it on FB.
Made this today and LOVE it! Didn’t have red lentils but used brown quite successfully. Perfect on a chilly winter day and I’ll be taking it to the office for lunch this week. :-)
It looks very delicious and tasty. When I found the tomato soup anywhere, I cant wait for other person. i instantly eat the tomato soup. I may just have to switch it up and make this soup instead.
It looks very delicious. Whenever I found the tomato soup anywhere, I can’t wait much and instantly either order from outside or make himself the tomato soup. I love tomato in any recipe.
I make this soup about once a week, and we love it. I add a few carrots and potatoes, increase the amount of kale, and use unsalted broth and tomatoes, because my husband has to watch sodium levels. It is thick and delicious, much like a hearty stew. I also make it in the crockpot. I cook the celery, onion, celery and spices for about an hour and then add the other ingredients, adding the potatoes a few hours later. I highly recommend this delicious dish!
Thanks so much for the comment, Joy – so glad you and your family enjoy the dish, and I’m sure other readers will appreciate the crockpot rundown! :)
Came home at 9:30pm so hungry and there’s was nothing ready to eat. Didn’t feel like crackers and peanut butter today. This soup was quick and delicious. Piece of buttered bread and my tummy feels very happy! Next challenge, how to curb my late night eating, I call it my second supper ?
I just made this and I’m eating it right now this is fantastic!! Every recipe I’ve tried by you has been absolutely delicious! Keep and the great work you’re doing!!
Thanks for the kind words, Toya!
Angela, I’ve been making this soup since you first posted it in 2012 and I love and adore its reliable deliciousness… I just want to express my gratitude for your steadfast recipe on what is a cold night in Melbourne.
Tonight’s version has been super amped up with extra tumeric, ginger, cinnamon, chick peas and parsley, to cure a week of caffeine and pastries as Mother’s Day just passed and I’m a florist!
Your recipes are dynamite! Keep up the good work. Finding your website has been lifechanging.
Thanks for the lovely comment, Zoe! Hope the soup helps you stay warm :)
Just wanted to say thank you for this delicious recipe! I just made it today as my lunches for the week and it’s extremely tasty! The only thing I did was add baby bella mushrooms. :D
It’s in the freezer now, looks like it will freeze just fine. Thanks again!
Oh, I’m sure those mushrooms were a great addition, Nikki!
I just bought the cookbook a couple weeks ago and this is the first recipe I made … and it was SO GOOD. How can something so simple be so tasty! I had everything on hand already. You were right about the broth – it was just drinkable. My mom loved the soup, too.
Thanks so much for the kind words, and for your support for the cookbook, of course! It’s so wonderful to hear you loved this recipe. I hope you enjoy whatever recipe you try next just as much!
Made this soup for dinner last night, and just finished having it again for lunch today. Like other lentil soups with this flavor profile, it benefits from sitting in the pot overnight and allowing the flavors to really meld together. This is an easy, delicious, and filling recipe that I can see myself throwing together in a hurry. I typically use plain ol’ brown lentils, but the use of red lentil here makes this an even speedier recipe to execute. Thanks for another dinner/lunch staple! =)
This is really good soup, nice and savory. I always double it with intentions to freeze half, but then I just end up eating it all before that happens. Thank you!
Lol, it happens ;) Thanks for the recipe love, Lili!
I tried this recipe a few months after it came out and it has fond memories as one of the ones that helped me transition to veganism. It is still one of my favorite soups and I’m making it tonight for my sick husband. It’s so satisfying and comforting. Your recipes have also helped me get through finding out I’m allergic to soy and developing a wheat allergy. Your recipes are so allergy friendly and I can always trust they will be delicious and a hit with anyone I feed them to.
Hey Sarah, I appreciate your kind words so much…thank you! I’m thrilled you enjoy the recipes (and this soup) so much. Happy cooking!
Just had to leave a comment before I go to make this soup for maybe the 20th time? Love this recipe, and as we got our first snow here in Denver yesterday and it’s the kind of cold that kept me working from bed till almost noon, I’m excited to make it yet again to gain some warmth and some yum. Thanks!
I feel so cozy just reading this comment! haha. Love it. I’m so happy you enjoy it so much Rose!
This has been my absolute favorite soup for a couple of years now. I have a pot going right now. I added ONE little thing, but it added another layer of flavor. 1 jar of roasted red peppers which I used an infuser to blend before adding to the soup. Be still my heart! I could eat this 5 out of 7 days!
OMG, why have I never added roasted red peppers before….genius!! I love roasted red peppers in soup…totally agree with you on another layer of flavour. Roasty goodness. I think I have to make it this weekend (why not right?)
This is still my favorite soup from Angela. It’s nice and spicy which is perfect for the mid-winter “blah I’m sick of eating root veggies” and/or “I have a cold and can’t smell anything anymore”. This soup will cure it all. I added extra spinach, because – why not! Eat it with a crusty piece of bread and it’s perfect.