Vegetarian Winter Lentil Soup Recipe

When it’s cold outside, there is nothing better than a bowl of warm and hearty soup (at least for me). This vegetarian lentil soup is packed with seasonal winter vegetables and ticks all the boxes: it’s healthy, tasty, cheap and easy to make. I like this lentil soup so much, I make it at least once every week. This is not a strict recipe where you need to have all the ingredients. Think of it more like a framework where you can experiment with different vegetables, spices, and lentils. Get creative and make your own recipe!

Download Winter Lentil Soup Recipe PDF

Notes:

– I usually just use vegetables that I have at home when I make this recipe. Apart from the vegetables mentioned in the recipe,  you can try cauliflower, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, red bell pepper, leeks. Try it with spinach or kale, add it when the soup is almost ready.

– Cooking time will depend on what type of lentils you are using. I like red lentils because they cook super fast in 10-15 minutes. But they don’t hold their shape, so sometimes I mix them with green or brown lentils. Try it out with different lentils and see which one you like the most.

– Instead of water, you can use vegetable broth. Also, you can add canned tomatoes or tomato paste to the soup, but I normally don’t. I find the soup tastes well even without tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup red & 1/2 cup brown lentils
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1-2 chopped carrots
• 1-2 chopped celery sticks
• 2-3 cubed potatoes
• 1 -2 chopped root parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1-2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• salt to taste
• coriander leaves to garnish
• lemon juice to taste

How to make Vegetarian Winter Lentil Soup

1. Warm oil in a pot, once hot add chopped onion and garlic, saute a few minutes.

2. Add chopped carrot and celery, saute a few more minutes.

3. Lower heat a bit, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander & cumin powder. Saute for 1-2 minutes.

4. Add cubed potatoes, root parsley and lentils. Pour in water, add salt and garam masala. Bring soup to a boil, then simmer on medium-low heat until lentils are cooked for 20-30 minutes. Add more water if needed. When lentils are almost cooked, check the taste and adjust salt and spices.

5. When the soup is ready, add coriander leaves. Season with lemon juice before serving.

Download Winter Lentil Soup Recipe PDF

If you try this recipe, let us know how it went!