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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I make this soup regularly, the flavors are just so spot on and satisfying. I usually add a ton more veggies, but follow the recipe to a T otherwise. Bonus that the recipe uses red lentils that usually sit in my pantry feeling left out!
This has become a family favorite! Quick and delicious! Perfect for a fall/winter day.
This soup is perfect for chilly winter evenings! I like things extra smoky so I doubled the cumin and paprika. I also mindlessly opened a can of cannellini beans first so ended up with those and chickpeas and the soup was still great. Used an immersion blender right in the pot to thicken it up a bit–seemed easier and like less cleanup than the blender method. Will definitely make again!
Oh my goodness 🤤 That was one of the most delicious soups I’ve had. It was so good my husband and I finished it all then made a second batch the next day and doubled it. You’re recipes have never failed me. They’re always so delicious! A bit time consuming but worth it. All in all great job!!
I made this and it was amazing! It’s staple I already have in my pantry and takes no time to make a delicious dinner with your artisan bread. I added spinach and kidney beans as well. Planning to make a tripe batch which would be a rotation in our household. Another great delicious recipe. Thanks so much Jenn.
Jenn, this soup was a home run!! My husband wants it weekly. I followed recipe exactly except added a pinch of red pepper flakes for an extra kick. Love everything I have made from your recipes. Ordered your cookbook after this soup. Many thanks Jenn!! You’re the best!
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We love lentils & cumin in this house. I made this as is and it was such a big hit! will be part of my rotation for sure. One little change I would make, I will add a little more stock, and puree the whole thing instead of the 2 cups only, to hide the chickpeas, as my daughter is not a fan. Otherwise, fabulous soup!
Hi! The only red lentils I could find are “split” rather than whole. Does that change the recipe/ directions at all?
Hi Chris, I’ve never used split lentils before; I suspect they should work but will need less cooking time. I’d add them along with the chickpeas. Please LMK how it turns out!
I found them at Walmart.
I have to admit. I make this soup once or twice a week. It is so delicious. The soup is great without adjusting the recipe. However, I make it so often that I change it up by adding whatever veggies I have in my frig: Frozen corn, broccoli, cauliflower, whatever. Instead of taking some of the soup out to blend, I just use an immersion blender on half of the pot of soup. Sometimes I’ll add a teaspoon of turmeric or use a can of diced fire roasted tomatoes instead of plain diced tomatoes.
This soup is absolutely delicious (and healthy!). It also froze really well. I used chicken broth (but I am sure veggie broth would be just as good), French lentils, 1c frozen peas, 1/2c frozen peaches and cream corn. The corn adds a wonderful sweetness and textural contrast.