Lentil Soup

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This easy Lentil Soup recipe made with kielbasa is hearty, filling, and loaded with flavorful. It’s gluten free and dairy free, accommodating different diets and can be made on the stovetop or crockpot for an effortless dinner.

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Total Time5 15

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Keyword: lentil soup, lentil soup recipe

Servings:

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium carrots , peeled and diced
1 small sweet onion , diced
3 cloves garlic , minced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper , to taste
2 cups dried red lentils , rinsed
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
6 ounces kielbasa , cut into small bite-sized pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
2 & 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

Coat a 6-quart crockpot with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large nonstick skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and onion; sauté for 4-5 minutes until veggies are tender. Add in the garlic until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Season with the red pepper flakes and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Transfer vegetable mixture to the crockpot, along with the dried lentils, broth, kielbasa, and salt. Stir to combine, cover, and cook on low for about 5 & 1/2 hours until the lentils are tender.
Stir in the herbs and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Serve on its own or with some crusty bread, if desired and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Don't have a crockpot? Make this soup on the stovetop instead. Simply sauté the vegetables in a pot, as directed, then add all the ingredients instead of transferring them to a crockpot. Place lid on and turn heat down to medium-low. Simmer for 35-40 minutes or until lentils are soft. Proceed with the recipe as written.

Make it vegetarian. To make this soup vegetarian, simply omit the kielbasa and replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth.

Using different lentils. This recipe calls for dried red lentils. You could use yellow or brown, but note that they have a different taste (see notes in article) and the cooking time might be longer.

Avoid canned lentils. Dried lentils are preferred over canned for taste and texture.

Lentil soup is thick. If it seems overly thick, you can add a touch more chicken broth to thin it out. Alternatively, if you want it thicker, a few whizzes with an immersion blender will do the trick.

Avoid cooking for more than 6 hours. Lentil soup thickens the longer it cooks/sits, so don't let it cook longer than 6 hours or it will resemble oatmeal more than soup.

Nutrition