Spicy Lentil Soup
This spicy lentil soup is perfect to make when you’re looking for something healthy and delicious to eat or have a whole bunch of veggies to use up in your fridge. This recipe makes a big batch and freezes well.
One serving of this lentil soup will give you a bunch of veggies and a healthy dose of fiber-rich lentils. Lentils are a fabulous source of fiber and a fantastic ingredient to work into your cooking if you want to eat healthier.
You can make this soup with as much heat as you like. If you like milder food, omit the jalapenos and chili powder. Garnish the soup with a sprig of cilantro and sour cream or with feta, parmesan, or cotija.
To make this soup vegetarian use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
I often make a batch and portion it into reheatable containers and throw it in the freezer, because warm soup for lunch is the best.
If you’re interested in more healthy soup recipes, read 7 Soups and Stews that are Healthy, Delicious, and Easy to Freeze for Later.
Spicy Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried green lentils
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 28 oz diced tomatoes, preference for Pomi brand diced tomatoes
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cups chopped veggies, I use sweet potatoes cauliflower, red peppers, zucchini, carrots
- 3 cups roughly chopped leafy greens like spinach or kale
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1-2 stemmed and seeded jalapeno, chopped (omit if you don’t like spice or add more if you want more of a sting)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder, omit if you don’t like spice
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- salt and pepper to taste
- Garnish with feta, parmesan, cotija or plain Greek yogurt and some chopped cilantro
Instructions
- In a large pot heat the olive oil and add the diced onion. Let the onion cook for a few minutes before adding the garlic and spices. Stir in the spices and add the ginger and green lentils.
- Add the tomatoes and stock and let the soup come to a rolling boil before adding the hard veggies (e.g. carrots and sweet potatoes) and letting it cook for 15 minutes.
- Add in the softer veggies (e.g. zucchini, red peppers), cover and let the soup simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the lentils and veggies are soft.
- Try the soup and add salt and pepper to taste, before adding the leafy veggies. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes before serving.
Mark is an experienced food writer, recipe developer, and photographer who is also Umami’s publisher and CEO. A passionate cook who loves to cook for friends, he can often be found in the kitchen or by the grill testing new recipes.
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