Italian Lentil Soup
Lentil soup is packed with hearty vegetables like carrots, celery, kale, and brown lentils. This soup is ready in 30 minutes and is the perfect recipe to clear out your fridge!
Table of Contents
Lentil soup
If you love hearty, warming soups, check out my chicken tortellini soup, vegetarian minestrone soup, or creamy sausage and tortellini tomato soup.
What’s your favorite New Year’s tradition? Mine is ringing in the New Year with Italian lentil soup! Lentil soup is eaten on New Year’s Eve as an Italian tradition. Lentils are thought to resemble ancient Roman coins and are thought to bring good luck and prosperity. After 2020, I’ll be eating two bowls… maybe more.
This lentil soup rocks for a few reasons:
- It’s ready in 30 minutes. I love a solid 30 minute meal, which is why this soup it at the top of my list! The dried lentils are cooked in under 30 minutes, which means less time in your kitchen and less clean up- score!!
- Clear your fridge out! Go ahead and toss in those sad looking carrots, the wilted kale, and the not so crunchy celery. This lentil recipe is a great excuse to use all those veggies you’ve completely neglected in the back of your fridge.
- It’s healthy and packed with flavor. Seriously. It’s SO.GOOD. This soup is super flavorful because of the mixture of vegetables, crushed tomatoes, thyme, oregano, and of course- the star of the show- the lentils.
But hey, don’t trust me. You’re just going to have to make this lentil recipe for yourself. Thirty minutes, you get to purge your fridge of veggies, and it’s filling, healthy, and delish. Sounds like a good deal to me!
Italian lentil soup ingredients
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Celery
- Carrots
- Chicken or vegetable broth
- Dried brown lentils
- Crushed tomatoes
- Italian herbs
- Kale or spinach
Chef’s tips
Clear the fridge out
This is my favorite recipe to make at the tale end of my meal plan. This way, whatever vegetables I have left in my fridge that need to be used up can be tossed in the pot!
Let it simmer
Dried lentil beans need 30-35 minutes to simmer and soften. If the beans are still a little crunchy in the center after 30 minutes of cooking, allow them to cook for 5 more minutes. It’s okay if the lentils begin to break down, this adds to the texture of the soup and makes it super delicious!
What to season lentil soup with
Lentils are super versatile and go well with a lot of seasonings. For this Italian lentil soup, oregano and thyme are used to highlight the Holy Trinity (onions, celery, carrots), garlic, and the lentils. If you can use fresh herbs, it’s even better!
Why is lentil soup good for you?
This soup is packed with healthy veggies like onions, garlic, carrots, celery, kale, and lentils. Lentils are packed with protein, nutrients and health benefits.
First, lentils are a great vegetarian source of protein. A 1/2 cup of lentils contains 26 grams of protein! That’s a lot!
Lentils are low in calories, high in fiber, and contain virtually no fat. They are also carbohydrates, which is a slow burning fuel for your body that keeps you fuller for longer, which gives them the reputation for helping with weight loss.
How to make Italian lentil soup
- Sautè the vegetables. Place a large soup pot over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil, then add the chopped carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Sautè the mixture for 3 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Pour the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and lentils into the pot. Add the bay leaf, thyme, and oregano, and red pepper flakes. Bring the soup to a boil. then reduce it to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for 30 minutes. In the last 3-5 minutes, add the kale or spinach.
- Serve. Add the salt last, as it can toughen the lentils if it’s added while it simmers. Remove the bay leaf and serve. Mangia!
How to store and reheat lentil soup
In the fridge
Place the lentil soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat the soup, pop it in the microwave for 2 minutes or place it on the stove over medium heat for 5-10 minutes.
Can lentil soup be frozen?
Lentils hold up very well in the freezer. This lentil soup is awesome because the lentils break down a bit into the soup, which thickens it. When you reheat the house, the lentils may break down a bit more, but it’s sooo tasty!
To freeze lentil soup, pour the soup into individual airtight containers and store in the freezer for between 4-5 months.
To reheat frozen lentil soup, simply pop it in the microwave for 5 minutes.
What to serve with lentil soup
- Every good dinner starts with these Rosemary Garlic Dinner Rolls. The smell of fresh rosemary and warm bread will be so enticing, it’s hard to wait for them to cool!
- Olive and herb focaccia is made quicker than the traditional recipe with a few easy adjustments. This Italian bread is full of fresh herbs, cured olives, and tons of flavor!
- Crusty French Bread Rolls are chewy, crusty, and soft and fluffy on the inside. These rolls are so delicious when they are hot out of the oven and are the perfect staple on your dinner table!
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Italian Lentil soup
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 celery stalk chopped
- 1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/4 cup brown lentils
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp cracked pepper
- 2 cups baby kale or spinach
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Sautè the vegetables. Place a large pot over medium heat. Once the pot is warm, add the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and sautè for 3 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Pour the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth into the pot. Add the lentils, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and cracked pepper. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Add the kale or spinach and cook for 5 more minutes. Once the lentils are soft, add salt to season.
- Serve. Serve with your favorite crunchy bread. Mangia!
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates, for exact values consult a nutritionist.
