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.
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
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This is so easy to make (I had everything in the pantry or freezer) and is absolutely delicious. We loved it! I didn’t have a raw carrot tonight (which is unusual) but had Wegman’s frozen Peas and Carrots which worked perfectly as an add in at the end. Thanks for a fabulous soup recipe!
Delicious! My 5 year old likes it too!
Thank you for sharing so many good recipes!
I love this recipe! My 9 yr old daughter came in tonight from playing outside and said, “Mmmmm, it smells SO good!” I change almost nothing, except to add extra carrots in place of green beans and peas, and use fire-roasted diced tomatoes. Flavors are spot-on. Thank you!
I used my Instant Pot and the soup turned out wonderfully. Other than using the IP, I followed the recipe exactly, except I didn’t need to puree – actually I forgot to puree, but the soup was very thick regardless. I wasn’t sure how the IP would do with this recipe, so I did use a 2-round cook-time. With round 1 as the saute as directed, and then added tomatoes, broth, spices and red lentils, and cooked under pressure for 4 mins. Then round 2 was to release pressure, add other veggies and cook for another 4 mins under pressure (with fast release). Turned out very tasty and thick. I think next time I’ll try only using a single round and see how that turns out. Thank you for the great recipe!
I want to try this recipe but never have luck putting uncooked lentils in my soup as they remain uncooked after hours of simmering the soup. Any suggestions so this doesn’t happen? Maybe it’s a high altitude thing? At a loss. Thank you!
Hi Michelle, I know that beans and lentils may take longer to cook at high altitudes but all lentils should soften. Red lentils in particular cook quickly, so I think this recipe would be a good one to try. Please LMK how it turns out if you make it!
It turned out delicious! Thank you for another great recipe.
I used canned lentils and put them in right at the end and it worked great! Delicious soup! Also, I used my immersion blender for a slight blending and I really liked the texture.
My husband and I loved this soup. It was a light soup yet very filling and tasty! I will make it again. Jenn, I love how you organise your recipe page. I’m a visual learner and I love the photo you post with each recipe showing the ingredients we need to make the recipe. Well done!
So glad you like the recipes and the way I have them displayed! 💓
Can you use black or green lentils for soup if you only have them?
I wouldn’t recommend it, Jennifer — sorry!
I’ve made this several times now. I always intend to freeze some to have on hand but never have left overs! The recipe as written is wonderful and it also turns out great with extra veggies added. Zucchini and green beans are two favorite additions, added after the purée step.
This soup is Fantastic!! Easy no fail recipe that took 1/2 hour with ingredients I regularly keep on hand. My husband is a plant based vegetarian (added challenge – no cooking oils of any kind!). This recipe is perfect (just left out the oil). Both of us enjoyed it. Will become a staple. Your recipes have rekindled my desire to cook, I now look forward to being in the kitchen. Many, many thanks!!
❤️
So, so good!! Only thing I did differently was increase the smoked paprika to equal approximately 1/2 To 3/4 tsp (instead of heaping 1/4 tsp as recipe indicated). I usually end up changing/adding a few things but not this time! I added more salt (also suggested in recipe). I used veggie bouillon (recipe gives option for chicken as well). Pairing with Naan bread (as suggested) and a mixed green salad. Made this in under 30 mins. In my Ninja Foodi
Made this last night. I already had (nearly) everything in the pantry & fridge! I subbed chiffonaded fresh chard and baby spinach for the green beans and peas, adding it just at the last minute. I also added ½ cup of white wine with the broth. I made parmesan toast & spooned it over that, and added a bit more cheese at the table. It was absolutely delicious and will be one of our regulars.