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This creamy lentil soup is a fantastic Autumn dinner to keep in rotation. Its savory goodness is balanced by the sharpness of lemon juice and tomato paste, giving it a balanced, hearty flavor. Lentils are not only delicious, but are also a powerhouse of nutrients such as folate, iron, fiber, and protein. Did I mention they’re cheap?
Why You’ll Want This Recipe
Very healthy – Lentils are are chock full of vitamins and minerals. There are so many benefits to eating them, it would be a little ridiculous to list them all. To name just a couple, lentils are known to improve your digestion and lower both cholesterol and blood pressure, giving you a healthier heart.
Comforting and delicious – Creamy lentil soup is the perfect bowl of warmth for a cool Autumn evening at home.
Valuable wait time – I love dishes I can throw together and then get other things done while they do their thing in the pot. The simmer time on this dish gives you the ability to clean, tend to your kids, or whatever else you need to do while its cooking on its own.
Tools You May Need
Ingredients
Unsalted Butter
Sweet Onion
Carrots
Celery
Garlic
Tomato Paste – you can substitute this with several diced Roma tomatoes, but just note that it will not have the same “zing” the tomato paste will give.
Cayenne
Thyme
Rosemary
Bay Leaf
Oregano
Lentils – You can use brown or green lentils
Chicken Bone Broth – Regular chicken broth will also work, but you will get a deeper flavor and more health benefits from using bone broth.
Heavy Cream
Kale
Sugar
Lemon Juice
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
How to Make Creamy Lentil Soup
Step 1: Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Once melted, add in your diced onions, carrots, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The goal isn’t to fully cook everything, just to get it started.
Step 2: Reduce the heat to low and add in the garlic and tomato paste. Stir it in very well and cook for 2 minutes. You want the tomato paste to be as evenly mixed as possible.
Step 3: Next, add the cayenne, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, and oregano into the pot. Stir until all the vegetables get coated in the spices.
Step 4: Add your lentils and chicken broth in next. Increaser the heat to high and bring the pot to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid and simmer the lentils for 35-40 minutes.
Step 5: Optional: After simmering, remove the lid and use an immersion blender to give the soup a few good zaps. You want to leave some of the chunks in it while still giving it a bit more of a creamy texture. You can also do this by blending a third of the soup in a food processor and then adding it back in. I like to try and avoid the carrots when doing this, but it’s not a big deal if you purée those as well.
Step 6: Finally, add the heavy cream and kale to the soup. Continue cooking it for 3-5 minutes, or until the kale is tender to your liking.
Step 7: Remove the pot from the heat. Add the sugar and lemon juice and stir. Add sea salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy this soup hot with a piece of your favorite bread.
Tips
- I like to add extra cayenne and extra lemon juice to give it a kick and a zing!
- Test your lentils before finishing the simmering step. They sometimes need another minute or two. You know they are done when they are tender and soft.
Storage
Store your creamy lentil soup in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-6 days.
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Creamy Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp Butter
- 1 medium Sweet Onion diced
- 3 Carrots chopped
- 2 stalks Celery sliced
- 5 cloves Garlic roughly chopped
- 4 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- ¼ tsp Cayenne
- ½ tsp Thyme
- 1 tsp Rosemary
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 2 Cups Lentils green or brown
- 7 Cups Chicken Bone Broth or regular broth
- ½ Cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Cups Kale chopped
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- Sea Salt to taste
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce the heat to low and add in the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add all of the spices (except the salt and pepper) into the pot and stir to coat the vegetables.
- Add the lentils and chicken broth. Bring everything to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer the lentils for 35-40 minutes.
- Optional: After simmering, remove the lid and using an immersion blender, give the soup a few good zaps. You want to leave some of the chunks in it while still making it a little more creamy in texture. You can also do this by blending a third of the soup in a food processor and then adding it back in.
- Add the heavy cream and kale to the soup. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the kale is tender.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Add the sugar and lemon juice and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy this soup hot with your favorite bread.
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