This hearty lentil vegetable soup with kale is wholesome and delicious! It's easy to make using basic pantry stables plus a few fresh ingredients. This homemade vegan soup will leave everyone feeling satisfied and happy.
Veggie lentil soup is perfect to make during the winter season as it is cozy, warming and comforting. This homemade vegetarian soup is similar to my ten vegetable soup, however this recipe has a thicker broth, contains lentils and other spices.
Lentil and vegetable soup can be enjoyed as a main dish or side. I recommend making a pot at the beginning of the week so you can enjoy the leftovers for lunch. It is great for meal prep as it stores well; or you can always freeze some for a later date!
If you enjoy this recipe you'll love my red lentil sweet potato soup and creamy mushroom lentil soup. I also recommend my lentil sloppy joe recipe! Make sure to check out my helpful guide on how to cook lentils if you have any questions.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Winter lentil soup is full of simple yet hearty ingredients that will fill you up.
- This vegan soup is meal prep and freezer friendly!
- It's surprisingly full of flavor and utilizes basic pantry staples such as lentils and canned tomatoes.
Ingredients Notes
- Veggies - the main vegetables in this soup are onion, carrots, garlic, red bell pepper, potato and kale!
- Lentils - this recipe calls for regular lentils but you can use other varieties such as French green lentils, or beluga lentils.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes - this is the key ingredient to making the best lentil soup! They add so much depth of flavor along with some smokey sweetness.
- Crushed tomatoes - adds additional sweetness and texture to the broth, thickening it up a bit.
- Spices - the combination of salt, pepper, smoked paprika, basil, bayleaf, and oregano brings all the ingredients together.
Substitutions & Variations
- Spicy - add crushed red pepper flakes (½ teaspoon) and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- Lentils - use your favorite type of lentil! Make sure to check off my guide on how to cook lentils if you opt for another variety.
Step by Step Instructions
Sauté the onions, carrots and pepper in olive oil over medium heat for 5-8 minutes.
Add in the garlic, potatoes and spices. Sauté for a 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, broth and lentils. Bring the soup to a rapid simmer, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid. Discard the bayleaf from the soup. Stir in the kale until it wilts. Serve and enjoy!
Hint: make sure to check the cooking time of your lentil variety. Green, black and brown lentils will take about 20 minutes to cook. Yellow and red lentils (especially if they are split-lentils) may have shorter cooking times ranging from 10-15 minutes.
Emily's Top tip
"Check your fridge for any additional veggies that need to be used up! Similar to my ten vegetable soup, you can add in more veggies or swap some out depending on what you have available."
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend giving the lentils a quick rinse under cold water. This helps remove any debris or dirt that may still be stuck to them. Discard any small stones or debris that is found.
This vegan soup can last in the fridge for up to 5 days. This makes it great for meal-prep or to enjoy leftovers later in the week. You can also freeze this soup for up to 3 months.
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Lentil Vegetable Soup with Kale
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 carrots diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 potato (russet or sweet potato) cut into ½-inch cubes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 15 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup dried lentils
- 3-4 cups vegetable broth
- 4-5 cups kale roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, carrots and bell peppers.
- Sauté for 5-8 minutes until the onions start to turn translucent and the carrots and peppers being to soften.
- Add the garlic, potato, salt, black pepper, basil, smoked paprika and oregano. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the bay leaf, fire-roasted tomatoes (and their juices from the can), crushed tomatoes, lentils and vegetable broth. Stir together.
- Increase the heat to medium-high until the soup beings to boil.
- Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the lentils and potatoes are tender.
- Remove the lid and stir in the kale until it wilts. Discard the bay leaf. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- I typically use regular lentils or French green lentils but you can swap in any variety of lentils. Note that yellow and red lentils will cook much faster (10-15 minutes instead of 20 minutes).
- Free free to add in additional vegetables if you want!
Deborah says
I'm eating this as I type this comment, and loving every single mouthful! I didn't have fire roasted tomatoes, they're not easy to get hold of in England. Instead, I added fire roasted peppers, and it's worked perfectly.
I also added more paprika than the recipe states (because I'm addicted to it) and just under a teaspoon of chilli flakes.
This is seriously delicious, thank you!
Emily Toshiko says
Hi Deborah, wow thank you so much for leaving this review! I'm so happy to hear you are enjoying this recipe. Fire roasted peppers sounds absolutely delicious! I'm so glad you were able to find a tasty substitute. I really appreciate your kind words. 🙂
Em says
I loved developing this recipe as there are so many variations you can take! I recommend using different types of veggies and greens based on what is available to you. I've been enjoying this all week for lunch and it leaves me feeling full. I hope you all enjoy this recipe. 🙂