This classic lentil soup recipe is full of flavor and is guaranteed to warm you up! Plus, it's hearty enough to fill you up and easy to make for a weeknight meal.
There are many ways to prepare this warm dish - including an Indian lentil soup recipe or one with bacon. However, in this article we will offer you a delicious lentil soup recipe that is prepared in a classic way and is one of the most popular autumn soups in our household.
This classic lentil soup recipe is budget-friendly and full of vegetables. You don't have to struggle with hard-to-find ingredients or complicated instructions to enjoy a hearty, plant-based dish. This meal is guaranteed to make a permanent place on your fall menu!
Ingredients for 6 servings
This is what you need to prepare the classic lentil soup recipe:
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium stalks celery, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1400 ml vegetable broth (low sodium)
- 380g brown lentils
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 1 Lorbeerblatt
- 400 g diced tomatoes
- 10 ml red wine vinegar
- Salt and black pepper to taste
How to prepare the dish
To make one of the most popular fall soup recipes, follow these steps:
- Place the oil in the bottom of a large pot and heat over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots and celery. Sauté the vegetables, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté with the vegetables until it begins to smell intense, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the broth, lentils, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, and bay leaf. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are almost cooked but still a little firm to the bite, about 25 minutes. You can add water while the soup is simmering if it becomes too dry.
- Stir in the tomatoes and continue to simmer the soup until the lentils are tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and remove the bay leaf. Stir in the vinegar and season the soup with salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
Classic lentil soup recipe – questions and tips
How do you store leftover soup?? Simply place them in the refrigerator in a closed container and use within 3 days. Lentil soup may thicken during storage - dilute with a little water when reheating if necessary.
Your lentils have been cooking for a long time but are not softening - what is the cause? The reason could be that you added the tomatoes or vinegar too early. Their acidic components prevent the lentils from becoming soft, so they are added at the end. Another common cause is old lentils that have been sitting in your pantry (or on the store shelf) for a long time.
You can also use other types of lentils besides brown lentils? Yes, but keep in mind that depending on the type of lentil, the soup will need more or less time to cook.
This recipe for classic lentil soup contains gluten? No!
