Lentil Soup (Italian Vegetable)

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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups diced carrots (3 medium)
  • 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onions (1 medium)
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic (4 cloves)
  • 4 (14.5 oz) cans vegetable broth
  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 1/4 cups dried brown lentils , rinsed and picked over
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups diced zucchini (1 medium)
  • 2 cups packed chopped kale or spinach
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • Parmesan cheese , for serving (optional)

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. 
  • Add carrots and onions and saute 2 minutes then add garlic and saute 2 minutes longer. 
  • Pour in vegetable broth and tomatoes. Add in lentils, basil, oregano, thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. 
  • Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  • Add in zucchini and kale and simmer 10 minutes longer, if using spinach wait to add it until the last 2 minutes. 
  • Stir in lemon juice and add up to 1 cup of water to thin as needed (as the soup rests the lentils soak up more of the broth). 
  • Serve warm with parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

  • Stick with brown or green lentils or adjust the cooking time. Red lentils cook in over half the cooking time of brown and green.
  • If you don’t have have the dried herbs listed here, you could also substitute 1 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning instead of basil, oregano and thyme.
  • If you are out of vegetable broth, chicken broth will work too.
  • Don’t skip the lemon. Even though it’s a small amount it adds a nice hint of brightness.