Description
This easy Lentil Vegetable Soup is a hearty and nutritious dish packed with green/brown lentils, fresh vegetables like onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms, potato, and baby spinach. Perfect for a comforting meal, it features Italian seasoning and diced tomatoes, simmered to create a flavorful, protein-rich, and fiber-dense soup that’s both satisfying and healthy.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 5 oz. mushrooms, diced
- 8 oz. white potato, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped (optional)
Other Ingredients
- 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (or fire-roasted)
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables: Dice the onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms, and potato. Set aside to streamline cooking.
- Sauté aromatics: In a stockpot over medium-high heat, add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for about 7-8 minutes using 3 tablespoons of water or vegetable broth for a no-oil method, adding more liquid as needed to prevent sticking.
- Add garlic and vegetables: Mince the garlic while the aromatics cook. When the onion becomes translucent, add the minced garlic, mushrooms, potato, and Italian seasoning to the pot. Stir and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes to develop flavors.
- Add liquids and lentils: Pour in the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and the rinsed lentils. Increase heat until the mixture reaches a light boil.
- Simmer the soup: Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let the soup simmer gently for 25-30 minutes, or until the lentils and vegetables are tender.
- Add spinach and season: Stir in the chopped baby spinach during the last couple of minutes of cooking, allowing it to wilt. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Thickness: For a thicker, denser soup, use the full 1 cup of lentils. To make it thinner, reduce lentils to about 3/4 cup.
- Vegetable variations: Feel free to swap or add vegetables like green beans, broccoli, kale, corn, peas, cauliflower, cabbage, or zucchini to suit your preferences.
- Garnishes: Enhance the soup before serving with fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro, or basil, or sprinkle with red pepper flakes for some heat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximately 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 190 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 13 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
