Winter Vegetable Lentil Soup
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Winter vegetable lentil soup is an easy & healthy soup recipe made with green lentils, turnip & kale. Vegan version listed in recipe below.
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.
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
Winter Vegetable Lentil Soup
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
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in large stock pan or dutch oven. Add onion, turnips, parsnips, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened, about 7-9 minutes.
- Add bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, lemon juice, cheese rind, vegetable stock and water. Stir, turn heat to medium high and bring to a boil.
- Stir in lentils and peas. Turn down to low heat, cover and simmer 25-30 minutes or until lentils and peas are softened.
- Discard the bay leaf and cheese rind. Remove about 1 cup of the mixture and place in a small bowl or large cup. Using your hand/immersion blender, puree until creamy. Add back to pot and mix to combine. (Alternatively, you can also do this in a regular blender).
- Add in chopped kale, stir and cook another 3-4 minutes until wilted. Stir in Parmesan cheese.