Description
Rustic Hearty Lentil and Potato Soup invites warmth from Mediterranean kitchens with rich, earthy flavors. Nutritious ingredients blend seamlessly, offering comfort in each spoonful you’ll savor.
Ingredients
Scale
Base & Vegetables
- 1.5 cups dried green or brown lentils, rinsed
- 3 medium potatoes, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 can (14.5 ounces / 411 grams) diced tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups fresh spinach or kale (optional)
Broth & Liquid
- 8 cups vegetable broth
Spices & Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Garnish
- Fresh parsley
Cooking Fat
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Create a flavorful base by warming olive oil in a spacious pot over medium heat, then gently sauté diced onions, carrots, and celery until they soften and release their aromatic essence, approximately 5 minutes.
- Introduce minced garlic to the vegetable medley, allowing it to bloom and infuse its rich fragrance for roughly 60 seconds.
- Combine hearty lentils, chunky potatoes, crushed tomatoes with their natural juices, robust vegetable broth, and a harmonious blend of cumin, smoked paprika, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper into the pot.
- Elevate the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and allow the soup to simmer quietly for 35-40 minutes, ensuring lentils and potatoes become perfectly tender and meld their flavors.
- During the final cooking moments, delicately fold in fresh spinach or kale, letting the greens wilt gracefully into the steaming liquid.
- Conduct a final taste assessment, calibrating seasonings to personal preference, and ladle the piping hot soup into serving bowls, garnishing with a sprinkle of vibrant fresh parsley.
Notes
- Customize Texture: Blend a portion of the soup to create a creamier consistency, leaving some whole lentils and potatoes for a satisfying bite.
- Protein Boost: Add cooked chicken, beef, or tofu during the last 10 minutes of simmering to transform this into a more substantial meal.
- Dietary Adaptations: For a gluten-free version, ensure your vegetable broth is certified gluten-free and skip any potential wheat-based ingredients.
- Make-Ahead Magic: This soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to meld, making it perfect for meal prep and freezing in individual portions.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg