Lentil Soup – Every Reason to Say Yes!

If you are looking for a reason to enjoy a great soup [Do we really need a reason?], take a look outside the window… Aside from the weather, there is so much to LOVE about this soup. It is homey and flavorful with so much going on as far as texture; it is hearty and so healthy.

Do you know how nutritious lentils are?

Lentils are a protein that can be found on many super healthy foods’ lists. Lentils are an excellent source of important vitamins and minerals and they are a super duper fiber source. Studies also show that lentils help lower cholesterol, manage blood sugar and most of all they help prevent some serious heart diseases and keep our heart healthy. What’s not to LOVE… Now, add the fact that they are available year-round and are very convenient to store and cook and you will find yourself in front of a big pot making this awesome soup!

You will need:

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 large Onion

2 medium Carrots

3 stalks of Celery

3 Potatoes

2-3 cloves of Garlic

2½ cups (16 oz.) brown Lentils

1 tsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Black Pepper

2 tsp. Salt

9 cups / 2¼ Qt. Water

About Brown Lentils…

While there are several types of lentils that can be found in different parts of the world, brown lentils are the most common type. Even though they are referred to as “brown”, they can range in color from greenish-brown to dark brown (almost black). The kind that I often use look khaki-brown when they are dry and they turn mainly brown after they are cooked. They are hearty, earthy and mild in flavor. Brown lentils vary in texture when cooked: when cooked for 15-20 minutes they become “Al Dente” – soft but still with a bite to them; when they are cooked for 20-30 minutes they become soft and still hold their round shape nicely; they can also become mushy usually after 40 minutes of cooking or more…

Let’s do this!

Start with the lentils. Wash them well and soak them in generous amount of water for couple of hours. Anytime around two hours is sufficient. After that, wash and drain them well.

Like any good soup, this one also starts with a nice amount of onion.

Finely chop the onion and sauté in the olive oil on medium heat. This takes about 5-7 minutes.

While the onion develops its flavor and soften for a few minutes, chop the carrots and celery.

I like them in small bite sized cubes in this soup, so half an inch cubes are perfect.

Add the carrots and celery, mix and cook for couple more minutes until they start to soften.

Cut the potatoes into one inch sized cubes.

Add the potatoes to the pot and mix together.

Finely chop the garlic.

Add it to the pot to add another layer of flavor.

Next add the lentils.

Add the cumin and the black pepper. Whenever I make legumes I like to wait with the salt and add it after they come to a boil.

Add water a little over two quarts.

Bring the soup to a boil and allow it to boil for about 5 minutes. Add salt and lower the heat to the lowest flame. Cover the pot and cook for about 40 minutes. Make sure that the soup keeps a lively simmer.

After 40 minutes the lentils are very soft and some of them are even mushy; the potatoes, carrots and celery each have their own texture which makes this soup a lot of fun to eat…

Kick it Up a Notch!

This soup screams for some homemade croutons. The ones that I usually make are made out of challah bread with a little garlic-salt and fresh thyme and their taste and texture is just perfect with this soup! Check out Afooda’s post of Homemade Challah Croutons.

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Quick Recipe:

Lentil Soup-

Soak Lentils in water for 2 hours.

Drain and wash well.

Finely chop Onion and sauté in Olive Oil on medium heat.

Add cubes of Carrots and Celery.

Cook until vegetables are soft.

Cut Potatoes into 1’’x1’’ pieces and add to the pot.

Mix together.

Finely chop Garlic and add to the pot.

Add the presoaked Lentils and mix well.

Add Cumin and Black Pepper.

Add Water and bring to a boil.

Allow boiling for 5 minutes.

Add Salt and lower heat.

Cover the pot and cook for about 40 minutes keeping a lively simmer.

Serve with homemade croutons…