Hearty Lentil with Vegetables (Printable Version)

Protein-packed lentil soup with seasonal vegetables and warming spices, ready in 50 minutes for a nourishing meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Legumes

01 - 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
08 - 2 cups spinach or kale, chopped

→ Liquids

09 - 6 cups vegetable broth
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Spices & Seasonings

11 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
12 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Optional Garnish

16 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
17 - Lemon wedges for serving

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables soften.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in ground cumin, smoked paprika, and dried thyme. Cook for 30 seconds to release aromatic oils.
04 - Add rinsed lentils, chopped tomatoes, vegetable broth, and bay leaf. Stir well to combine.
05 - Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until lentils begin to soften.
06 - Add diced zucchini and continue simmering for 10 minutes until lentils and all vegetables are tender.
07 - Stir in chopped spinach or kale and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted.
08 - Remove bay leaf. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It's genuinely ready in under an hour, which means weeknight dinners stop feeling like a negotiation with yourself.
  • The soup tastes even better the next day when the flavors have had time to get comfortable with each other.
  • You're getting real protein and fiber without any of the heaviness that sometimes comes with hearty soups.
  • This recipe adapts beautifully to whatever vegetables are sitting in your crisper drawer.
02 -
  • If you add the zucchini too early, it falls apart into the broth and becomes invisible—waiting until the 20-minute mark keeps it fresh and distinct.
  • Resist the urge to skip the 30-second spice toast; that brief moment of heat transforms them from powder into something aromatic and alive.
  • Tasting and adjusting seasoning at the very end is non-negotiable because salt levels change as the soup simmers.
03 -
  • Always rinse dried lentils before cooking—it removes surface dust and prevents the broth from becoming cloudy.
  • If you forget to remove the bay leaf before eating, it won't hurt you, but it's like biting into a leaf, which is startling and unpleasant, so do a final check.
  • Cooking the spices for that brief 30 seconds makes more difference than you'd think—it's the difference between a good soup and one that tastes like it came from somewhere special.
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