Smoky Chickpea, Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup
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This warming, satisfying lentil and vegetable soup comes together in just 30 minutes.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
For a vegetarian recipe made almost entirely from pantry staples (and I mean true staples, not staples from some well-stocked dream kitchen), this vegetable soup is surprisingly delicious. It’s thickened by puréeing a portion of the soup and then stirring it back into the pot (a technique I also use in other veggie and bean soups like pasta e fagioli and mulligatawny). This method gives the soup a wonderfully rich and hearty texture without relying on heavy cream or flour. The soup takes just 30 minutes to come together, start to finish, yet tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen, and it’s good for you, too. For the cooked vegetables, feel free to use any quick-cooking, frozen, or leftover vegetables you have on hand. The recipe is extremely flexible and very hearty!
Table of Contents
“Super simple and delicicious. It’s a keeper.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chickpea, Lentil and Vegetable Soup
- Olive Oil: Used to sauté the onions, garlic, carrots, and spices, adding richness and helping to develop a deep flavor base for the soup.
- Onion and Garlic: Provide a savory foundation and depth, essential for building the soup’s overall flavor.
- Carrot: Adds a subtle sweetness and contributes to the hearty texture of the soup.
- Paprika and Cumin: Infuse the soup with smoky and earthy flavors, enhancing the overall warmth and complexity.
- Vegetable or Chicken Broth: Acts as the soup’s liquid base, balancing flavors and providing a rich, savory undertone. Opt for low-sodium broth here.
- Diced Tomatoes: Contribute acidity and a subtle sweetness, adding depth to the broth.
- Red Lentils: Thicken the soup and add protein, creating a hearty texture. It’s important to stick with red lentils here due to their quick cooking time. Use 1/3 cup as specified in the recipe, as using more can make the soup too thick.
- Dried Thyme: Adds an aromatic, earthy note that complements the soup’s savory elements.
- Bay Leaves: Infuse the soup with a mild herbal flavor, enhancing its overall complexity.
- Chickpeas: Add texture, protein, and a nutty flavor, making the soup more substantial.
- Cooked Vegetables: Provide additional texture and nutrients, rounding out the soup with a variety of flavors and colors. I like to use frozen peas and green beans but you can use any quick cooking, frozen, or leftover vegetables you have on hand. The recipe is very flexible!
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by cooking the onions in olive oil until soft. Add the carrots, garlic, smoked paprika and cumin and cook until fragrant, a few minutes.
Add the broth, tomatoes, lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chickpeas and continue cooking 10 minutes more.
Remove a few cups of the soup and place in a blender or food processor.
Purée until smooth.
Pour the puréed soup back into the pot. Stir and taste; if you want the soup to be thicker, purée a bit more. Add the vegetables.
Bring the soup back to a simmer and serve.
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Smoky Chickpea, Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 14.5-ounce (411-g) can diced tomatoes
- ⅓ cup red lentils
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 15.5-ounce (439-g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cooked vegetables, such as frozen peas or chopped green beans
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, smoked paprika and cumin; cook, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn't brown, about 2 minutes more.
- Add the broth, diced tomatoes, red lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer; cook for ten minutes. Add the chickpeas, cover the pot and cook 10 minutes more. Fish out the bay leaves, then transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender and purée until smooth (be sure to remove the center knob on the blender and cover with a dishtowel to avoid splatters). Add the puréed soup back to the pot and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary; if you want the soup to be thicker, purée a bit more soup. Add the cooked vegetables and simmer until the soup is hot and the vegetables are warmed through. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. through.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Comments
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We keep coming back to this one. Our whole family loves it. I usually don’t add green beans but do add an entire bag of sweet petite peas and my daughter loves it like that. I add cayenne to mine and my husband’s bowls and it is instantly transformed into a bowl of spicy deliciousness with a perfect texture. Checks all the boxes- we usually have all the ingredients on hand, it’s super fast and easy to make. it’s satisfying, it’s healthy and reheats beautifully.
Super simple and delicicious. It’s a keeper.
Thanks
This is so quick and simple. Made it for a supper then had leftovers for a few lunches. It definitely tasted better after a day in the fridge. I am going to try it again with white kidney beans and spinach tomorrow since I used my last can of chickpeas! This is something I’d like to have in the fridge for days for a quick lunch. I added some leftover grilled chicken one lunch and that was tasty too. I’m wondering if it would also be good with black beans and maybe some extra spices like chili powder and coriander.
Yum, I did make again with black beans instead of chickpeas. I added chili powder and coriander, and swapped the thyme for oregano. Used frozen corn for the veg, and stirred in some fresh coriander at the end. I love it! Looking forward to lunch tomorrow because I know it will be even better l
I love the ease of Smokey lentil
Soup when you need to get a meal prepared… it’s quick!!! Ingredients are always in the pantry and waiting…. Just add some good crusty buttery garlic bread!!!! Thanks so much….. gonna make the other lentil next!!! Thanks Jenn
Judy …
This is one of my new all time favorite soups! I added extra smoked paprika and cumin, and used fresh spinach and cauliflower for the veggies at the end. It was truly delicious!
Hi Jenn! In the instructions for the cooked vegetables you say it is fine to use whatever is on hand. I have some frozen green beans on hand. Should I cook them beforehand, or just add to the soup frozen? As always, your help is greatly appreciated!
Hi Lilee, you can add them frozen. Enjoy!
Thank you as always, Jenn!! We really enjoyed this recipe. I ended up using kale as my vegetable instead of green beans and sautéed it with the onions and carrot, as I saw you had mentioned to another reviewer. It was so good!! We also used green peas; I would skip that ingredient next time, but that is a completely personal choice. I also added some shredded chicken that I had cooked with some spices and it made it a complete meal! On our second helping we decided to top it with Parmesan and I thought that was a great addition. Also, I do think the taste improved the next day…so I may make this a day earlier next year. Great recipe!
Easy and delicious! Will definitely repeat…especially in the winter. Jenn’s recipes never disappoint!
Amazing flavours
I just put all the ingredients (excluding the oil as you don’t need it) in a slow cooker and cooked on high for 3 hours.
Delicious 😋
This could just be my favourite soup ever! I love how easy it is, yet how flavourful it was. My dad, normally not a “second bowl” guy, asked if he could have another bowl when he finished, which is HIGH praise!