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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If I add a meat protein, what would you recommend?
Thanks,Diane
Hi Diane, I think this would be nice with some pulled rotisserie chicken. 🙂
Delicious!! I reduced the cumin to 1/2 tsp, as my Partner isn’t fond of it. I used an immersion blender which reduced splatter (if carefully handled!) and dishes. I topped the soup with some shredded poached chicken I had left over
I’M SORRY!!!!! For ever doubting you. I tried soup somewhere in a middle of cooking and it tasted so watery with strong taste of tomatoes I thought there is no way it would come together. But it did! Wonderful with warm spices, comforting and healthy. My family loved it. They always do like dinners I have cooked from your recipes. Thank you!!!!
I forgot to rate it – 5 stars 🙂
This was SO yummy! First time I have come across your blog and SO glad I did! The soup is hearty and was a flavor explosion. My husband ate it up :). Bookmarked for our cold winter days here in Pittsburgh!
I have made this once as written and froze the leftovers. It was perfect as written. The second time I added a half pound of cooked chorizo after puréing the soup and added 1 tsp of Zatar seasoning and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. It was also good. Thanks Jenn for your fabulous recipes! L
Hi. I haven’t made the soup yet, but wondering about your thoughts on vegetable broths. I’m concerned that using chicken broth would not be acceptable to the vegetarian in my life.
Hi Linda, using vegetable broth is perfectly fine. Hope you enjoy!
Delicious! Made this tonight, only change was that I added some leftover chopped up bacon that I had from making breakfast this morning. I also added full cup of frozen peas and a full cup of frozen green beans to add some extra veg. So flavorful!! I served it with crusty bread. This will definitely go into my winter soup rotation. Thanks for another delicious recipe!
This is truly a soup that you can pull together when you fridge is empty or when you have some questionable vegetables lurking in the back of the fridge. I had an abundance of roasted green beans, but you could add anything. I think I’ll add some butternut squash and spinach the next time I make it. The soup is smoky, filling and delicious. We ate with some crusty french bread and have plenty for leftovers for lunches this week.
I’ve made this twice now. Both times with collard greens and peas. It’s healthy, easy to make, and absolutely delicious.
Hi! What is the green leafy vegetable in your finished picture of the soup?
Looks delicious
Thank you!
Hi Lauren, that shot was taken by the photographer for my cookbook but I believe it’s kale. 🙂
Thank you for addressing this. I had the same question. I added a cup of frozen spinach. I also think kale would work well. The greens add a nice touch of color and additional nutrition. I made this recipe today for lunch and I was pleasantly surprised. It has great flavor and the lentils are perfect (didn’t turn to sludge). Thanks for a great, healthy recipe to add to my collection.