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International · Mediterranean

Hearty Lentil and Vegetable Soup

Vegetarian

Brown lentils simmered with carrot, celery, onion, tomatoes and cumin until tender, finished with spinach and a squeeze of lemon. Filling, cheap and freezer-friendly.

Hearty Lentil and Vegetable Soup is an International soup, ready in about 55 minutes and made with green or brown lentils, onion and carrot. It serves 6 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
40 min
Total
55 min
Serves
6
Level
Beginner
Calories
238

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion (opens in a new tab), carrot (opens in a new tab) and celery (opens in a new tab) until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic (opens in a new tab), cumin (opens in a new tab) and paprika (opens in a new tab) for 1 minute.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the lentils, tomatoes, stock, bay leaf (opens in a new tab) and pepper (opens in a new tab). Bring to the boil, then simmer partly covered until the lentils are tender, 25–30 minutes.

    • 30 min
    • medium-low heat

  3. Step 3

    Season with the salt, then stir in the spinach (opens in a new tab) and cook until just wilted. Remove the bay leaf (opens in a new tab) and add the lemon juice (opens in a new tab) before serving.

    • 2 min

    Salt towards the end — salting early can slow the lentils softening.

About this dish

Origin
Not attributed to one place · Origin uncertainAn everyday home-cooking preparation made in many countries; it has no single documented origin.Also popular in United States, United Kingdom, Greece, Germany, Lebanon
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Soups · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Sautéed
Taste
earthy, savoury, aromatic / warmly spiced, mild
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein · High-fibre
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · High-fibre · Low-fat · Carb-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Budget-friendly · Freezer-friendly · Batch cooking · Meal-prep friendly
Cook more with
Green or brown lentils · Onion · Carrot · Celery · Garlic · Cumin
Techniques
Sautéing · Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

  • May contain: Glutenfrom vegetable stock
  • Contains: Celeryfrom celery, vegetable stock

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

238 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 440 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 20%
  • Carbohydrate 60%
  • Fat 20%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy238 kcal54 kcal
Protein12.6 g2.9 g
Carbohydrate37.2 g8.5 g
Net carbohydrate29.7 g6.8 g
Sugars6.1 g1.4 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre7.5 g1.7 g
Fat5.6 g1.3 g
Saturated fat0.8 g0.2 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium1053 mg240 mg
Salt equivalent2.6 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
706 mg
Calcium
86 mg
Iron
4.2 mg
Magnesium
51 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
302 µg
Vitamin C
22 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
251 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • For a creamier texture, blend a quarter of the soup and stir it back in.

Common mistakes

  • Skipping the lemon — a little acid at the end lifts the whole pot.

Serve with

  • With crusty bread, or topped with a spoon of yogurt and olive oil.

Storage

  • Keeps 5 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen.

Reheating

  • The soup thickens as it stands; loosen with water or stock when reheating.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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