Lentil Kale Soup (Vegan)

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A hearty, vegan lentil kale soup packed with vegetables, protein and fiber. A delicious, filling, healthy soup with a little spicy heat.

Lentil and Kale Soup | Green Valley Kitchen

One of the things I’m trying to do this year is eat vegan a couple of times a week. And for me the easiest way to accomplish this is to have a big bowl of soup. This lentil soup recipe fits the bill.

This lentil and kale soup is the perfect example. It’s vegan, full of fiber and protein and easy to make. It’s a filling, satisfying soup that doesn’t leave you hungry later in the day.

I love soups, especially filling soups like this soup or this red lentil and vegetable soup, or this tortellini soup.

Why I’m sharing this recipe

Hearty and filling: The lentils make this kale lentil soup hearty and filling. It’s a great source of protein and fiber.

It’s packed with flavor: This plant based soup has lentils, kale and warming spices like cumin, curry powder and red pepper flakes.

Stores well in the refrigerator and is freezer friendly: Make a big pot of this lentil and kale soup – it gets better over time and easy to store in the fridge for a few days or freeze for future use.

Key ingredients

Lentils: You can use green lentils or brown lentils in this soup. Lentils are an inexpensive pantry stable that are great in soups since they hold their shape when cooked.

Kale: Kale is a nutritional powerhouse. It’s a great addition to soup because it doesn’t fall apart when cooked. It has a soft, chewy texture.

Vegetables: The soup uses onions, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes and garlic to create a flavorful base.

Spices: Cumin, curry powder and red pepper flakes add a warming flavor with a touch of heat.

Vegetable broth: Adds extra flavor to the soup.

How to make this recipe

Step one: Saute onion, celery, carrot and garlic in a large pot over low to medium heat until vegetables are soft.

Step two: While the vegetables are cooking, strip the kale from their stems and cut the kale into thin strips. Add the chopped kale to the soup pot.

Step three: Add spices and tomatoes to the pot and stir to combine.

Step four: Add lentils, vegetable stock, water and bouillon cube. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and simmer for 35 minutes.

Step five: Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree or blend one third of the soup.

Tips for making this recipe

Take the time to cook the carrots, onions and celery until they are soft and slightly browned – this is the flavor base for the soup.

Carefully sort your lentils after measuring. I like to put them on a sheet pan so I can spread them out and remove any debris.

Rinse your lentils before adding to the soup. Lentils can be dusty.

Blend part of the soup before serving. I used an immersion blender to puree a part of the soup to create a creamier version.

Recipe variations and substitutions

Greens: I used lacinato kale, also known as tuscan or black kale but you can use curly kale as well. Also, pre-chopped kale would be a great time saver.

Tomatoes: Try swapping the regular diced tomatoes with fire roasted diced tomatoes if you like a spicy kick to your soup.

Spices: If you like your soup on the spicier side, increase the amount of curry and red pepper flakes.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories in lentil soup?

This soup has roughly 220 calories per cup.

What type of lentils are best for soups?

Brown or green lentils work best in this recipe since they hold their shape.

How can you tell if lentils are properly cooked?

The lentils should be tender and soft. Older lentils make take a little longer to cook so test a few at the end of the cook time to be sure they are ready.

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please come back and leave a message and rating for the recipe! Thank you!

Lentil Kale Soup

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4.9 from 21 reviews

A hearty, vegan lentil kale soup packed with vegetables, protein and fiber. A delicious, filling, healthy soup with a little spicy heat.

Author: Geraldine
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 to 6 1x
Category: Soup

Ingredients

Scale

2 stalks of celery – washed and diced
1 medium yellow onion – peeled and diced
2 carrots – peeled and diced
3 cloves of garlic – peeled and minced
1 tbs olive oil
2 cups of shredded kale – I used lacinato kale, also known as tuscan or black kale
1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes – add a bit more of you like more heat
10 twists of black pepper from a pepper mill
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 cup of dry lentils – picked through and rinsed.
4 cups of vegetable stock – low sodium if preferred
1 cup of water
1 vegetable bouillon cube

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Instructions

Add 2 tbs olive oil to a large soup pan over low heat.
Add diced celery, onion, carrots and minced garlic.
Saute for 10 minutes over low heat until veggies have softened – stirring occasionally.
While the veggies are cooking, remove the stem from the kale leaves and slice up the kale into thin ribbons. Add to the soup pot and stir to combine – cook for 2 minutes until slightly wilted.
Add cumin, curry powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper and diced tomatoes (include their juices). Stir to combine all ingredients.
Add lentils, vegetable stock, water and the bouillon cube. Stir to combine.
Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Simmer the soup for 35 minutes.
Use an immersion blender and puree 1/3 of soup – and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Notes