Remember that one time I preached about not letting kale rule your life and then posted a recipe with kale two days later? The irony is killing me.
Lentil soup fixes everything. It's totes a cure all. Smashed veggie tacos at 3am? Eat lentil soup. Devoured obscene amounts of chocolate when it was or wasn't that time of the month? Eat lentil soup. Broke your toe? Eat lentil soup.
Lentils are just lovely.
This soup is total detox in a bowl. Like it's impossible to get sick if you're eating it. Chock full of veggies, fiberful lentils and chunks of taters, this truly is one hearty bowl of heaven. I took it for lunch today in my new fave thermos that's meant for small children not full-grown hummusapiens. I heated it up at 730am till it was piping hot and then popped it in my pink thermos. It wasn't as hot by noon, but it was still plenty warm and enjoyable. Thermos = my new BFFL.
This recipe is super easy to make and pretty darn customizable as well. Feel free to swap in sweet potatoes and leave the potatoes out all together. Use spinach instead of kale if you so fancy. I used half a bag of frozen kale from Trader Joe's that I thawed in the micro and it worked just fine. The only thing you really can't change is the type of lentil. Red lentils cook much faster and will turn this soup into mush, so make sure to use brown lentils unless you want to eat goop soup. You can grab a whole bag of lentils for less than a couple bucks.
I'm just not digging green smoothies at the moment. I mean I just haven't been in the mood. I want to eat all my veggies in a bowl of warm and fuzzies that's obnoxiously slurpable.
Done and done.
Hearty Lentil, Kale & Potato Soup
Hearty Lentil, Kale & Potato Soup
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 1 cup dry lentils (not red), rinsed and picked over
- 4 cups vegetables broth + ½ cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp coriander
- 1 large potato, dixed (about 1 ½ cups)
- ½ bunch kale, ribs removed and chopped finely (or half a bag of thawed from frozen kale)
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrots and sauté until softened, about ten minutes.
- Add lentils, broth, water, salt, garlic, cumin and coriander. Stir together and bring to a boil. Once soup has reached a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 20 minutes.
- Add chopped potatoes and simmer, covered for 15 more minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
- Add kale and simmer, covered for 5 more minutes, or until kale is wilted.
- Remove from heat and stir in red wine vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Tammy says
I added a can of diced tomatoes, leftover ham pieces from Thanksgiving and used tiny red potatoes cut in half. Was absolutely delicious!!!!!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
MMmmmm sounds perfect!
Lalamamapalooza says
I have been making the Hearty Lentil, Kale, & Potato soup for several years. It is just about as perfect as a meal can be. My family consists of picky teenagers and a carnivore husband and they absolutely love it. I often will cook a side of loose mild Italian sausage (drained and paper towel squeezed to reduce the fat), for the carnivore hubs to add as a topping to the soup. My daughter and I love the red wine vinegar for a touch of acid, but the boys do not. So much versatility! Can’t say enough good things about it. This soup has become a family tradition!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
You made my night, Laura! I love that the whole family chows down on this 🙂
David says
Can I leave out the red wine vinegar or substitute it with something else? I didn’t realize until the last minute that I didn't have any.
Alexis Joseph says
You can use lemon juice! A bit of acid helps brighten the soup/
Donna S says
I just came back to this recipe and realized I had never left a review. The fact that I am coming back is because this is a perfect, go-to recipe for lentil soup! The flavors are just right and the kale makes it a complete meal.
★★★★★
Alexis says
You made my day, thanks Donna! Be sure to check out this Instant Pot Lentil Soup, too 🙂
Emily says
Loved this recipe so much!! I added some leftover chicken thighs and other leftover veggies I had and it turned out great. Will for sure make again!
Alexis Joseph says
I'm so glad to hear that, Emily! Thanks!