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!
OMGeee! I just got an email from VegNews and it’s about you and your Shepard’s Stew! How aweome! Just wanted to share that with ya! :)
Oh and this sounds delish and I will def be making some this week! Can’t wait!
I can’t WAIT to make this! My freezer is overflowing as well, but it’s sooo nice to pull something up and reheat it!
I’ve never used Red Lentils. This sounds like the perfect first recipe to try!!
Perfect! Just found and bought red lentils at the store this morning. Will make asap. Currently have beans cooking for tonight’s dinner: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/10/07/pumpkin-maple-baked-bean-cornbread-casserole/
Whoa baby is exactly what I was thinking!!! That looks AMAZING!
Note to self – do not read OSG when doing a juice cleanse. Salivating.
This looks delicious! Pinning to try soon with the abundance of kale in our backyard garden.
Gorgeous soup, Angela! And I have that exact same bowl and saucer and for all my soups and dips this fall, that’s what I’ve photographed it in, or the white one. I love the teal though – complements orange-toned soups and food so beautifully!
Great recipe and photos!
Can either of you share where the soup bowls are from. Very cute!
Could you add a print it button to your posts, just for the recipes? I went to print this and it came out at 18 pages long!
Great blog.
OOOOOps. Sorry. Just see you do have that. My bad and thanks.
My man is crazy about lentils right now, one for the recipe book. Thanks Angela!
I love that you quoted Stephanie Tanner! I caught a few minutes of a rerun recently, and realized how corny it was, but I loved it at the time!
Also love that you combined these ingredients together. Weirdly, last night I made a sauce of red lentils, tomatoes, and kale, served on top of spaghetti squash. It might sound weird at first, but I enjoyed the combo.
This looks delcious and I can’t wait to try this!! It’s still sunny and warm in southern california, but i guess it’s supposed to rain this weeked–perfect soup weather hehehe :)
I just made this! It was delicious! Thanks for the recipe!!!
This was so quick! Saw the recipe, 10 minutes later I was making it! Gotta love when you have all the right ingredients in the house!
Not the case yesterday:( Went everywhere searching for nutritional yeast. Anyone know where to get it? Was planning to make your Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheese!
Am not sure where you live but I get it at Fred Meyers/Kroger here in the Seattle area in their bulk section.
I love lentils and your soup bowl is so pretty too! Will be making this soon…nothing like guzzling broth on a cold day!
Just made this! Delicious. Was similarly inspired and made potato leek soup simultaneously. The freezer door will. not. close.
YUM! I added some quinoa to make it a bit thicker, just delicious.
Great idea :)
I made a couple of modifications, too, including adding brown rice. I used less water and let all of the liquid be absorbed so that it’s no longer a soup. :) Thanks for the great recipe — I’ll be eating this for lunch at work all week.
This sounds like such a perfect vegetarian dinner! I love the idea of stuffing a boatload of hearty greens into my lentil soup. :)