Lentil Potato Soup
I've made plenty of lentil soups, but this lentil potato soup is the one I keep coming back to. It always wins on flavor and nutrition, and I'll tell you the techniques that make it unbelievably flavorful every single time. (gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free)
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the Lentil Potato Soup
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 5 cloves garlic minced or finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion red or yellow
- 3/4 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 cup chopped carrots chopped into thin half moons
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons spice blend, such as harissa, shawarma, sumac, or a combination (see notes for my quick harissa blend)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or cayenne, or both
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup dried lentils picked through for debris, washed well, and drained. I use brown, green will work too
- 1 cup peeled and cubed potatoes or more, to taste
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 2 to 3 cups chopped baby kale spinach, or a mix
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or more, to taste
For the Toasted Seed Topping
- 1/2 teaspoon oil
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
For Serving
- Non-dairy yogurt
- Fresh herbs such as cilantro or parsley
Instructions
Make the soup.
- Wash the lentils if you haven't already, then drain them and set them aside.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat, and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook until the garlic is just starting to turn golden.
- Increase the heat to medium, and mix in the onion, carrots, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onion starts to turn golden on some of the edges. 5-7 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until it becomes more fragrant. Add the oregano, spice blend, and black pepper, and stir to coat everything evenly. Pour in the vegetable stock, and mix well. Add the drained lentils along with another 1/4 teaspoon salt, and mix well. Bring the soup to a boil, then partially cover, reduce the heat to just below medium, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, partially cover and continue cooking until both the lentils and potatoes are cooked to preference. 15-20 minutes
- Once the lentils are cooked to preference, add the tomatoes, kale, and lemon juice. Mix well and cook until the kale or spinach start to change color a little bit. 2-4 minutes. Taste and adjust the flavor. Add more salt, more spices, more heat, or additional lemon juice, if needed. You can also add in 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and/or 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast for more flavor, if you like. Mix well, then switch off the heat.
Meanwhile, make the toasted seed topping.
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the oil. Once hot, add the pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and sesame seeds. Reduce the heat to medium-low and toast until the seeds are fragrant, lightly golden, and the pumpkin seeds might begin to pop a little bit. Switch off the heat, then stir in the Aleppo pepper flakes and lemon zest.
- Serve generous bowls of the lentil potato soup topped with non-dairy yogurt, fresh herbs, and plenty of the toasted seed topping.
Video
Notes
You don’t want to add all of the salt and the tomatoes when you first add the lentils, as both can increase the lentils' cooking time.
Quick harissa spice blend: 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon onion powder (or a mix of onion and garlic powder), 1 teaspoon smoked paprika. 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional, for heat). Mix together, and use as directed in the recipe.
Use curry powder, Cajun, baharat, Garam masala or other blends for variation
Lentil potato soup is naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free as long as your non-dairy yogurt is soy-free and nut-free.
Nutrition
Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 530mg | Potassium: 1159mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 6954IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 209mg | Iron: 8mg