Hearty Lentil and Vegetable Soup (Print view)

Comforting soup with tender lentils and roasted vegetables, seasoned with herbs for a wholesome, satisfying meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Lentils

01 - 1 cup dried green or brown lentils, rinsed

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
03 - 2 celery stalks, diced
04 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Broth & Seasoning

10 - 6 cups vegetable broth
11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Finishing

16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional
17 - Juice of ½ lemon, optional

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F
02 - Toss carrots, celery, zucchini, bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes until lightly caramelized
03 - Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute
04 - Stir in rinsed lentils, roasted vegetables, vegetable broth, thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes until lentils are tender
05 - Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice as desired
06 - Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley

# Expert Ideas:

01 -
  • The vegetables caramelize in the oven while you handle the stovetop, which means less standing around and more doing.
  • It's naturally vegan and gluten-free without tasting like you're sacrificing anything, which quietly became my favorite thing about it.
  • One pot, one pot moment after the roasting—it's the kind of meal that doesn't demand your full attention once everything hits the broth.
02 -
  • Don't skip the roasting step thinking you can just toss raw vegetables in the pot—the caramelization is what makes this taste like restaurant food instead of something you threw together.
  • Lentils can vary wildly in cooking time depending on how old they are, so check them at 20 minutes instead of waiting the full 25—there's nothing worse than mushy lentil soup.
03 -
  • Make a double batch and freeze half in individual containers—it reheats beautifully and tastes even better on day two or three when the flavors have had time to get to know each other.
  • If your soup tastes flat at the end, it's probably salt or lemon juice—add these slowly and taste as you go, because both are easy to overdo but impossible to undo.
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