Easy Vegan Red Lentil Soup Recipe
The best quick and tasty vegan lentil soup. This comfort food recipe is perfect for fall and winter. It will warm you right up on chilly days!
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Vegan Red Lentil Soup Recipe
Good morning friends! As we are now moving into November, I am super excited to start sharing some cozy, delicious, vegan comfort food recipes for fall and winter. I don’t know about you guys, but I tend to crave hot and fresh meals during the chilly fall and winter months, especially after I finish a run outside in the cold.
Today’s recipe is a high protein red lentil soup that is packed with nutrients, flavor, and veggies. It is super comforting, and I think you guys are really going to love it! Lentil soup is one of my all-time favorite meals, and this vegan one definitely does not disappoint. Now, let’s go through some important things to note about this recipe. Then, we will jump into the list of ingredients you will need to make this recipe a smashing success!
Which Lentils Do I Use For Lentil Soup?
Before we get into this recipe, I wanted to discuss the specific lentils that I like to use when making lentil soup. For this recipe, I used split red lentils . I purchased mine from Trader Joe’s. The main difference between the split red lentils and whole green lentils (that I have found) is that they tend to get mushier and combine really nicely with the other ingredients in the soup. You can easily substitute whole lentils for the split red lentils if you prefer more texture. However, I really like the smoother texture that the split red lentils provide the soup. So, those are the ones I like to go with when I am cooking up a fresh batch of lentil soup. Anyway, enough on that. Let’s go ahead and go through the list of ingredients you will need to make this vegan lentil soup recipe a smashing success.
Vegan Red Lentil Soup Recipe – Ingredients
- Fresh Kale – The fresh kale adds a ton of nutrients to this recipe. If you don’t like kale, you can substitute any other greens you prefer. I have also used spinach in this lentil soup recipe, and it works really well in the dish. This ingredient boils down a lot as it cooks.
- Split Red Lentils – Another key ingredient you will need for this recipe are the split red lentils. If you want a more textured soup, you sub whole green lentils. However, you will likely have to increase the cook time, as the whole lentils tend to take longer to cook.
- Yellow Onion – The next ingredient you will need for this soup is the yellow onion. This ingredient adds nutrients and flavor to the soup. You will want to chop it up and add it to a pan over low heat with the fresh garlic and olive oil. You will want to sauté these three ingredients before adding them to the soup mixture.
- Diced Tomatoes – The diced tomatoes add ample flavor to this recipe. They are a key ingredient that you will definitely need for this soup.
- Large Carrot – The carrot is yet another great addition to this lentil soup recipe. It pairs very well with the lentils and other vegetables in this dish. Make sure to wash and peel it before chopping it up finely to add to the soup.
- Fresh Garlic – The fresh minced garlic adds a ton of flavor to the lentil soup. A little bit goes a long way. It combines very nicely with the onion and olive oil as well.
- Salt – The salt adds flavor to this delicious lentil soup. This ingredient will be adjusted to your own personal taste.
- Black Pepper – The black pepper is another ingredient that you will add to taste. You can start with just a little bit and add more as necassary, depending on how much spice you like.
- Nutritional Yeast Seasoning – The nutritional yeast seasoning adds a slight nutty/cheesy flavor to this recipe as well as a nice source of vitamin B12.
- Cumin – The cumin is a key spice that adds a ton of flavor to this recipe. Make sure you don’t forget it.
- Turmeric – The turmeric is a wonderful spice that adds flavor and a rich yellow-orange color to this vegan lentil soup recipe. It is one of my favorite spices to add to savory dishes such as this one.
- Vegetable Broth – The vegetable broth acts as the key source of liquid for this vegan lentil soup dish. It also adds some delicious flavor to the soup.
- Olive Oil – The olive oil is used to sauté both the minced garlic and chopped onion to soften them up and add extra flavor to the dish. I used a garlic flavored olive oil from Trader Joe’s because it was all I had on hand. It added an even stronger garlic flavor, which I really enjoyed.
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Easy Vegan Red Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh kale (chopped and loosely packed)
- 1 cup red split lentils
- 1/2 medium yellow onion (chopped)
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 large carrot (finely chopped)
- 1 clove fresh garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast seasoning
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add the minced garlic, chopped onion, and olive oil to a pan.
- Sauté the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes over low heat until the chopped onions are transluscent.
- Add all ingredients to a large pot, including the sautéed garlic and onion.
- Bring the lentil soup mixture to a boil.
- Cook the soup, covered, over low-medium heat for about 25 – 30 minutes, or until the lentils and vegetables are soft.
- Dig in and enjoy.
Notes
I hope you all enjoy this tasty vegan red lentil soup recipe. It is the perfect cozy comfort food dish for the chilly fall and winter months. It is super easy to make, so I can’t wait for you all to try it. Anyway, that’s it for this recipe. As per usual, I will be back with more content very soon!
-Alyssa 🙂
