Smoky Chickpea, Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
You May Also Like
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.
Notes
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
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Fantastic! I should have doubled it. A reason to make it again soon. Thank you!
Gosh… so delecious ??I cooked this soup ? three times already every ones loves it!! Loves your recipes plain n simple! Thanks Jennifer!!!
I absolutely love this soup. It is really easy to make. I usually double the recipe and freeze some in mason jars so that I have it on hand. The lentils and chickpeas make it surprisingly filling. It’s a healthy meal and also a tasty one.
This soup is delicious! When I pass the recipe on to family and friends I always
recommend they double it as they will otherwise be making another batch immediately. I’ve added frozen peas at
the end but usually use chopped, roasted
cauliflower. Yum! Jenn, I have made many of your recipes and each one has
rated 5 stars…..thank you!!
What would be the equivalent to the 14.5 oz can of chickpeas if one was using cooked dried chickpeas? I buy bulk chickpeas and use my pressure cooker to cook them.
A standard can of chickpeas contains about 1 3/4 cup of beans. Hope you enjoy the soup!
Dear Jenn, I made this smoky soup as instructed and it was delicious. My whole family loved it. My dad, my husband and my three young sons. But it didn’t surprise me because EVERY recipe I make of yours is a family favorite. I love how easy and adaptable they are. They taste like I cooked them over the stove for hours. My husband takes all three meals with him to work (he has two different jobs in the same building) and he always gets compliments on the smell of his food heating in the office microwave. This week I made the old fav- Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli. I also make your Indian Spiced Lentil Soup ALL THE TIME. I feel like I should be making a weekly donation to you with how much I use your site. I used to have a lot more time and made my own broth, soaked my beans, bla bla bla, but life happened and your recipes still give that sloooooow, deep flavor without all the fuss. Thank you for sharing your talent with the world. Now I’m off to make 30-Minute Asian Beef Bowls!
Thanks for all the nice words Evie– go glad you enjoy the recipes!
I love it! Family and friends love it! This is my go-to soup and countless people have asked for the recipe. I prepare the recipe exactly as written except that I usually don’t purée. For me, the key is use of nice quality smoked paprika. Any greens added at the end have been welcome and lovely. Thanks for a household staple, Jenn!
I love this soup! On a chilly evening, it’s my go-to meal for healthy, warm and super flavorful. I’ve used whatever lentils I have on hand – Jenn is right though – the red are best, and don’t detract from the beautiful color. I usually use my puree stick as well, which is easier than removing some of the soup to puree at the end.
After reading the other recipes I decided to double the recipe and I am glad I did. It is a flavorful, delicious soup. I added more vegetables in it to make it a little heartier. I also made a side of quinoa for anyone who wanted to add it to the soup. This made it more filling for my men. Some of my family loved added Tobasco Sauce for a zing.
This soup was really good! When I took the first spoonful, it really tasted as if I was having a bowl of soup from Panera or something. It came out that good! Super healthy as well of course. I will need to make again sometime very soon. Thanks for the recipe!