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!
Made this last night – so delicious! Love that these are all ingredients that I usually have on hand. Easy enough that I can tell it’s going to enter our repertoire!
Made this last night…YUM! I added some zucchini and mushrooms and a little extra spice and couldn’t stop eating it. Thanks for the great recipe, I’ll be making it again!
Umm, made this last night. My husband who hates, I mean HATES tomatoes and is iffy on lentils LOVED it! Delish! I cant wait to eat my left overs for lunch.
whohoo! :) Glad to hear that.
Yum this looks soo good! Love all soups. Where did u get you bowl and plate from? That teal color is gorgeous
Made this last night. Very good…. delicious, actually. I had a hint of a sore throat and this hit the spot. Angela, I’m finding that I can depend on your recipes to be consistently good. You seriously have a knack for making recipes much tastier (using the same, or close to the same ingredients) than many of your contemporaries. It’s so satisfying to find healthy recipes that don’t forfeit taste. Thanks!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Kim! Thanks for your kind words. :)
This recipe looks great! How did you know I love red lentils lately? ;)
Thanks for the spiced red lentil, tomato, and kale soup recipe. Soup makes for a perfect dinner now that the weather is getting colder here.
This looks incredible!
I’m making this tonight! :) Looks so good. And I love your blue bowls. Makes the food even more appetizing.
this looks sooo good! im warming up just looking at the pictures! def gonna try it this weekend!
Made this last night… It is fantastic!! New favorite lentil soup.
Thanks for this Angela. It’s been snowing in Edmonton steady the last two days, so this recipe came with impeccable timing! Gorgeous food styling photography by the way.
Thank you!
This was soooo delish!! I was out of lentils, but I had a sprouted Bean mix, so I added that and some rice and it made a hearty stew that my whole family loved. Thank you!!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was soooo delicious! I am usually a total failure at replicating soup recipes, but this tasted wonderful and was so easy. Thank you so much for this recipe. It will definitely be a repeat around here!
Just saw that our Costco has Kale in a bag…chopped and ready to go! I am so excited to try it.
I just made this! It was FANTASTIC. I’ve been on a two week continuous streak of failed dinners, so I felt so victorious whipping this up with acorn squash for dessert. Super low maintenance dinner and somewhat fast, so I was back to studying for midterms in no time! :) Yay! I feel so good. My boyfriend seems to be developing a bean allergy (kidney and black beans)…I’m thinking it’s the canned preservatives, we don’t know, but adjusting to lentils seems to be just fine so far! Thank you!
Yummers, love hearty soups like this packed with goodness. Think this will be on the menu next week.
P.S I have that plate (Anthropologie all the way!)
I made this last night. I loved it and it got two big thumbs up from my fiance as well. I am going to make it again this weekend, as I know it will go fast. I followed the recipe to a tee, with the exception of coriander seed, as I didn’t have any on hand. I highly recommend using smoked paprika instead of regular as it has an amazing flavour (you can find it at bulk barn or large supermarkets). This recipe is a definite crowd-pleaser for vegans and non-vegans alike (neither of us are vegans and we both loved it). Plus it is SO EASY! Thanks for the fantastic recipe Angela :)
Thanks for the review Lara! I’m so glad you both enjoyed it. :)
Delicious for a cold day!
You posted this the exact day I was planning on making lentil soup. I ditched my regular recipe and tried this. Loved the smoked spiciness…so good!! I also stirred in just a little vinegar right at the end of cooking. Thanks for another great recipe!