Name: Winter Vegetable Lentil Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 yellow onion, diced; 1 turnip, peeled and cut into 1” cubes; 2 parsnips, peeled and diced; 2 carrots, peeled and sliced; 2 celery stalks, sliced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp pepper; 1 bay leaf; 1 tsp dried rosemary; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tbsp lemon juice, about 1/2 lemon; 1 parmesan cheese rind, optional; 4 cups (32 oz) vegetable stock; 3 cups water; ¼ cup dried split peas; ½ cup dried lentils; 4 cups kale, thick stems removed and roughly chopped, or spinach/swiss chard; ½ cup grated parmesan cheese or vegan cheese

Winter vegetable lentil soup is an easy & healthy soup recipe made with green lentils, turnip & kale. Vegan version listed in recipe below.

A wooden board with a white bowl of vegetable lentil soup. There's a piece of golden crusty bread next to it, a black round spoon and chopped kale sprinkled on the wooden board. A larger dutch oven pot of soup is in the background.

It’s soup season my friends!!!

Lentil soup, minestrone, tomato soup, French onion-oh my goodness I could eat soup every day in the winter (with a side of grilled cheese of course, who’s with me?)

This easy winter vegetable lentil soup is jam packed with lots of good-for-you vitamins and fiber, making it especially perfect for after those holiday carbs ;).

Packed with green lentils, split peas, carrots, turnips, parsnips, kale and Parmesan cheese it’s full of fiber, keeping you nice and full throughout the day.

Instead of using meat like a traditional lentil soup recipe, we’re developing our flavor from the winter vegetables and Parmesan cheese.

Of course, if you prefer a vegan variation you can simply omit the cheese or use a vegan-friendly Parmesan substitute.

A wooden board with a white bowl full of lentil soup with winter vegetables. There's chopped green kale sprinkled around the bowl with a slice of golden bread. You can see the carrots and turnips in the soup.

How to make winter vegetable lentil soup?

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large stock pan or Dutch oven. Add all your hard veggies: turnips, carrots, parsnips, onion and garlic along with some salt and pepper and cook until softened, about 7-9 minutes.
Add 1 tbsp lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, Parmesan cheese rind (if using), vegetable stock and water.
Bring mixture to a boil, then add dried lentils and peas. Turn down to a simmer (low heat) and cook, covered, about 20-25 minutes or until lentils are softened.
Discard the bay leaf and cheese rind (if using) Take about 1 cup of the mixture and place in a small bowl or large cup. Use your immersion blender to puree until smooth. Add back to the soup mixture and stir to combine. Add kale and cook another 2-3 minutes until wilted.
Serve with toasty warm bread, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper if desired!

Do lentils need soaking?

The lentils are ready to go as is so no need for soaking 🙂

Do you cook lentils before adding them to the soup?

The lentils will cook in the soup, so no need to cook them beforehand!

I always store leftover cheese rinds in a zip lock bag in my freezer. They’re perfect for adding to soups and sauces and add great flavor. You can even sometimes find them in the store (I recently bought a container on my recent trip to Boston’s Eataly for about $3 a container!).

If you don’t have a cheese rind handy, no worries, simply add ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese to the soup when it’s finished.

Also, if you don’t have an immersion/hand blender, you can get one cheap on amazon (affiliate link) or simply add the liquid to a regular blender and puree until smooth.

For more cold-weather soup recipes try:

Creamy Tomato Bisque
Ribolitta Soup (Tuscan Vegetable Soup)
Pumpkin Coconut Curry Soup with Chickpeas
Italian White Bean Vegetable Soup with Sausage