Lentil Soup Recipe

Make a Hearty Soup with this little legume

Loaded with fiber, protein and iron, lentils make a smart and tasty addition to any soup, but they are a particularly good choice for vegetarian soups. One popular variety is a tomato-lentil soup; recipes can call for any form of tomato, from canned tomato soup to freshly chopped tomatoes, depending on the desired end result, but the flavor combination of tomatoes and lentils is a great one. Of course, many recipes suggest other complementary veggies to include in your tomato-lentil soup, too.

Lentils can add taste, texture and valuable nutrients to your soup, but they can also add visual interest. The most commonly seen lentils in soups are light brown, like the ones found in canned lentils or canned lentil soups. However, there are other colors of lentils that can be an easy way to dress up the look of your soup—like orange or yellow!

Non-Vegetarian Lentil Soup Recipes

Lentils can also be a great part of a hearty non-vegetarian soup. Although they are a source of protein on their own, their mild and even slightly sweet flavor makes them a delicious complement to ham, for example. Like split pea soup with ham? Try out a lentil-ham soup recipe for a twist on this classic comfort food.

Sometimes you can simply add a meat protein of your choice to a vegetarian lentil soup recipe. For example, chicken or turkey makes an easy addition that goes well with lentils, whether from a whole roasted bird or in sausage form as part of a sausage-lentil soup recipe. And if you go with the latter, then your choice of sausage can also provide the perfect opportunity to execute a spicy lentil soup recipe.

In addition, some spices can bring out the flavor of the meat or stock in a lentil soup—you’ll find lots of great recipes online to inspire your pairings, and you’ll quickly see that lentils are a diversely useful soup staple!