Lentil Vegetable Soup
My dear friend gave me this Le Cruset dutch oven a week ago, and I’ve been dreaming of all the things I can make it in every night since.
It looks gorgeous on my stove. It cooks beautifully. I may have fantasized about hugging it while I sleep.
Ahem.
Anyway.
I used it for this soup, and naturally it turned out beautifully. I swear things taste better in this pot.
Start with onion & celery:
Then carrots & garlic:
Let everything hang out together while you chop the next round of veggies.
Then add cabbage:
And let them mingle (they’ve only just met, after all!) for a few minutes while you rinse the lentils and bring them over:
Then?
Drop in your bay leaf.
I forgot to take a photo of this step, because I actually forgot the bay leaf until the soup had been boiling for at least ten minutes.
Don’t be me 😆
Then cover with water. You could use veggie stock, but I’ve found it’s not necessary (and we go for oil-free and salt-free stock, which is basically veggie-flavored water, WHICH IS WHAT WE’RE MAKING HERE ANYWAY… I mean… why pay for a box of that when you’re making the real thing?)
After 30 minutes or so, all your ingredients will be close friends. They’ll have shared life stories, swapped favorite recipes, and reminisced about the days in the sun.
Add two large splashes (about 2 tablespoons) of balsamic vinegar, which is basically wine for your ingredient guests. All their remaining reservations about each other fall away, and they’re hugging each other singing “Auld Lang Syne” and toasting to new friendships.
Or maybe I’m the only one that gives my ingredients personalities in my head.
ANYWAY… don’t let my craziness deter you from this soup. It’s delicious. It’s chock-full of vibrant, life-giving veggies. It’s a beautiful color. Your family will be impressed. The tangy balsamic will make you feel like a fancy chef. The next day’s leftovers will rock your world.
No, I’m serious.
We have enough leftover that I usually don’t have to cook the next day.
And if that doesn’t rock your world, then, my friend, I don’t know what will 😂
If you try this recipe please comment below!
Ingredients
- 1 onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 stalks celery diced
- 3 carrots diced
- 1/2 head red cabbage diced
- 28 oz diced tomatoes canned (do not drain)
- 12 oz lentils rinsed
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Add onion and celery to bottom of heavy stock pot with enough water to barely cover. Turn heat to medium-high until onions and celery begin to cook and the onions are a bit more translucent.
- Add carrots and garlic, allowing it to cook together a few more minutes. This allows the flavors to meld.
- Add cabbage and stir well, adding more water (not enough to cover the ingredients, but to keep the bottom from sticking).
- Add diced tomatoes WITH the juice. This is part of the secret sauce that makes it delicious.
- Rinse lentils while everything is cooking together. Add lentils and stir.
- Add bay leaf, and enough water to cover.
- Turn heat to high until soup is boiling, then turn down to low. Allow soup to simmer for 30 minutes or until carrots are tender and lentils are cooked through.
- Before dishing, add balsamic vinegar to soup pot and stir well.
- Serve hot. Leftovers keep well for up to 3 days, refrigerated in a covered container.
Nutrition
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It looks like there are diced tomatoes in this beautiful soup, but they are not listed in the recipe. How much do you use and when do you add them? Thanks this looks really good!
Lea, oh my gosh! What would I do without you? There they are, staring us all in the face, and I act like they don’t even exist in the recipe 😆 Thank you a million thank yous for pointing that out- and I’ve added the correct amount in the recipe. I use a big can of diced tomatoes and I don’t drain it- just pour the whole thing in. Let me know if you make this!
Thanks again,
Crystal
can I use canned lentils for this recipe?
Hi Nicole,
Absolutely! The cook time might be slightly less, just make sure your carrots are tender and you’re good. Enjoy!
Crystal