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.
I really enjoy this recipe on a cold night. The smoked paprika adds an earthiness to the soup. The chickpeas and lentils make it very hearty and filling. It comes together quickly using common ingredients found in your pantry or local grocery store.
Absolutely loved it!
Added peas , green peas and some spinach.
Will definitely make it again!
A favorite winter staple which I have prepared for family and an ill friend as well. As a prior reviewer suggested, I substituted zatar for thyme due to personal preference and increased smoked paprika to 1/2 tsp. Nice to add some frozen chopped kale or spinach for great nutritional value
This soup is so good that I’ve made it twice in the last 2 weeks. I had to substitute for a couple of ingredients I didn’t have on hand (celery for carrots and green lentils for red) and it was as good as the second time I made with all the right ingredients. I find it’s easier to use a stick blender to puree a portion of the soup directly in the pot instead of removing 2 cups and blending it separately.
Lentil soups can be heavy and often meaty, but this is not at all. With chickpeas and lentils it is a full vegetarian meal that I do not feel guilty about eating two bowls. Highly recommend!!
Another favorite soup recipe that I have even used to make in advance for a crowd of 25! Instead of adding all of the water, I only used enough to cook the recipe, making it a concentrated soup base. After it cooled, I put it in a gallon freezer bag with a label of how much water to add when reheating. It saves a lot of freezer space and then you can make all of Jenn’s freezable soup recipes to have on hand for a quick dinner or for company! Everyone that was served this recipe just loved it!
I’ve made a variation of this soup many times, but the specific instructions and guidance of not putting in too many lentils is what made me love this one! As well, blending just some of it was key for a creamy delicious soup!
This soup is delicious. My only issue was that I used a stick blender to puree the soup, and the chickpeas became sandy, which I didn’t like. I’ll make this again (and again and again) but I think I’ll add the chickpeas after I puree. Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes!
Was searching for some new recipes to add to rotation and this one is a definite keeper! Found it quick to come together with great flavors. Appreciate the use of lentils and legumes as we are trying to move toward more meatless options. Thank you Jenn for another delicious recipe!!
I served this soup as a starter when it was my turn to host our Dinner Club. It turned out perfectly, had rave reviews from my guests and requests for the recipe! I must say Jen, there hasn’t been a single recipe of yours that I have made – and I’ve made a lot – that I wouldn’t rate as 5*. I am a particular cook and am always confident that your ingredients and their measurements will give the perfect balance of flavors. Thank you!!!