Hearty Lentil Soup
Easily made in the Slow Cooker or Instant Pot, this is a rich, veggie packed lentil soup.
Easy, healthy and low in salt. You can even make it vegan if you want it to be (see tips)!
Just the Recipe | 6-8 Servings
Ingredients
1 Yellow Onion
1 Cup Celery (2-3 stalks)
1 Cup Carrots (2-3)
1 1/2 Cup Butternut Squash
1 1/2 Cup Gold Potatoes (3-4)
3 Large Garlic Cloves
1 Cup Green Lentils
1 tsp Herbs de Provence
3/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
6 cups Vegetable or Chicken Stock
2 Cups Kale
Garnish:
Italian Parsley
Shaved Parmesan
Red Wine Vinegar
EVOO
Slow Cooker
Steps
Prepare the veggies:
Peel, de-seed and cube the butternut squash into bite-sized pieces.
Peel and chop the carrots and potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
Dice the celery into bite-sized pieces.
Dice the onion.
Mince the garlic.
Prepare the lentils:
Pour out on a sheet pan or plate and pick through to make sure there are no stones or dirt clumps.
Rinse well in cold water.
Add everything except the kale to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours -or- high for 4-5.
To get a creamy texture without adding any cream or dairy, blend about half of the soup and then add it back to the soup. Stir and, viola, creamy lentil soup! You can blend by transferring about 1/2 of the soup to a blender (use caution and cover the blender with a towel to keep from getting burned) or use an immersion blender directly in the cooking vessel. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Add the kale and 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar. Allow to cook for another 5-10 minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Serve with a garnish of shaved parmesan, chopped parsley, a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and an extra splash of red wine vinegar.
Meal Block Plan | 8 Lunches
Cool and store, using mason jars or soup containers, in the fridge.
Reheat at lunch time and serve with crusty bread or a half grilled cheese sandwich.
Keeps in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Freezing not recommended.
Soup & Sandwich Special!
Made easy at home.
Kitchen Acumen Tips:
Instant Pot: follow the preparation directions and add all ingredients (except the kale and garnish ingredients) into the IP and cook on the Soup setting for 30 minutes. Quick release. Blend half of the soup and then add the kale and red wine vinegar to finish.
Stove Top: Add 3 TBS of olive oil to a dutch oven or braiser and heat on medium-high. When starting to shimmer, add the onions and cook (stir occasionally) for 3-5 minutes until soft. Then, add the carrots and celery. Stir and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the garlic, stirring to keep from burning, and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the potatoes, squash, herbs, salt and pepper. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Here you might want to add 1/4 cup of sherry or red wine vinegar to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Then, add the lentils and stock and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook at a simmer for at least 30 minutes until the vegetables are all soft. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking. When the veggies are soft, blend half of the soup and add the kale and red wine vinegar to finish.
Cleaning Lentils. Do you really have to pick through the lentils? Probably, yes. It’s on you if you don’t. Stones are used in the process to wash the lentils and occasionally small stones make it past the mechanical sieve and into the bag; its only happened to me twice over ten years but once I found it and once I didn’t until I was eating and bit it… I’ll look over beans and lentils every time to avoid the dentist!
Herbs de Provence. This is a spice blend typically made with dried thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaf. If you don’t have the blend on hand, use what you do from this list. For example, add a blend of dried thyme, basil, oregano and a bay leaf or two. You can also use fresh herbs instead of dried, should you have them.
To make vegetarian, use vegetable broth.
To make vegan, use vegetable broth and skip the shaved parmesan garnish.
Other substitutions:
If you don’t have red wine vinegar, substitute sherry or lemon juice.
Instead of EVOO (especially if you don’t like the taste) use an infused herb olive oil. Caution: making your own herb infused olive oils can be at risk of botulism. Best to purchase these from professionals.
Skip the garlic if you can’t eat it or don’t like it and add more dried herbs.
