Lentil Potato Soup

What type of lentils should I use for this soup?

Lentils are small, lens shaped legumes that are packed with protein, fiber, iron and minerals. There are four general categories: brown, green, red/yellow and specialty. For this soup we recommend using brown or green lentils. They hold their shape with longer cooking times and they are easy to find at just about any supermarket.

Check out this article all about how to cook lentils for more information including some great recipes to get you started.

How long does it take to cook lentils?

The cooking time offered for the lentils is just an estimate. Actual cooking time will depend on several factors including:

• The type of lentil - red and yellow lentils will cook faster than brown and green lentils.
• The freshness of the beans - the fresher the lentils the quicker they will cook.
• How you like your lentils - if you like them al dente (with a little bite in the center) then, they will be done quicker than if you like them super tender.

As a reference we cooked the lentils a total of 35 minutes before adding the potatoes.

Ingredients in lentil potato soup

• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Small Onion, finely diced
• 1-2 Carrots, peeled and diced – depending on the size of the carrot I will use one or two, sometimes they're so puny - use about ¾-1 cup of diced carrots
• 1 Celery Rib, finely diced
• 2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
• ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
• ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
• ¼ teaspoon Cumin
• ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
• 12 ounce Package of Lentils, sorted, rinsed and drained
• 8 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 pound Red Potatoes, cut into ½ - 1 inch pieces
• 5-6 ounces Fresh Kale, Chard, Spinach or a combination of greens (buy pre-packaged/pre-washed or wash and gently pat dry
• Salt, to season the lentils at the end – if needed

Recipe tips

• Sort the lentils before cooking. Don’t skip this step. Place them in a large colander, bowl or on a clean, flat surface and pick through them carefully. Remove any foreign objects, such as tiny rocks, twigs, misshaped beans, etc.

• Make the soup vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Try this lentil chili for another meatless option.
• Cut the potatoes roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate.
• Keep cut potatoes in cold water if you’re prepping them in advance. It slows the browning process.
• Wait until the end to add salt to this lentil and potato soup. The chicken broth and tomato paste both contain a good amount of salt already. As a reference we did not add any extra salt to ours.
• Use reduced sodium broth if you are sensitive to salt. Adjust at the end if needed.

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook them gently for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Then, add the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, thyme, cumin and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute while stirring almost constantly.

Next comes the lentils and chicken broth. Raise the heat to high and bring the broth to a boil.

Lower the heat to medium when the broth is at a full boil. Cover the pot and cook the lentils for 20-25 minutes, or until they have almost reached the desired tenderness.

If they are still hard, continue cooking another 10 minutes, then taste again. If they have already started to soften, then add the potatoes.

Lower the heat to medium-low and cover when the soup starts simmering again. Cook the lentils and potatoes for 10-12 minutes or until they are both tender.

Stir the soup more often as it thickens to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Finally, add the greens to the soup and stir until they start to wilt. Cover the pot and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the greens are completely wilted.

Serving, storing and reheating

Serve the lentil soup alone, with white rice or a generous piece of crusty bread.

Let leftovers cool then package them up in an airtight container. Keep them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Reheat the soup in a saucepan over medium heat or use the microwave. It may be necessary to add a couple of tablespoons of broth or water to loosen the lentils while reheating.

You may also like these lentil recipes:

• Lentil Chorizo Soup
• Chicken Lentil Soup
• Lentil Andouille Sausage Soup
• Bacon Lentil Soup
• Lentil Sausage Soup
• Italian Sausage Lentil Soup