Vegetarian Lentil Vegetable Soup With Spinach and Carrots

Lentil spinach soup

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Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Vegetarian lentil soup is high in flavor, and cooking with lentils is a great way to stretch your food budget since they are so filling and so cheap (and lentils are great to shop for in bulk, too). All of this combines to make this homemade lentil soup recipe one of the most perfect meals to make at home if your family is on a budget, whether you're vegetarian, vegan or not.

This simple vegetarian and vegan lentil soup recipe calls for lots of vegetables, including potatoes, carrots, celery, and spinach, so it really is a balanced vegetarian meal in itself. Add a quick side green salad and maybe some homemade dinner rolls, and you've got yourself a complete meal. 

This recipe is vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free (though you'll need to be sure to use a gluten-free vegetable broth, so check the label or make your own so you know what's in it, or make your own homemade vegetable broth).

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, or vegetable oil

  • 2 stalks celery, chopped

  • 3 carrots, chopped small

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 3 bay leaves, optional, but recommended

  • 8 cups water, or vegetable broth

  • 1 3/4 cups green lentils

  • 2 potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces

  • 1 cup spinach, coarsely chopped

  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, or kosher salt

  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Steps to Make It

  1. In a large soup or stock pot, cook the celery, carrots, onion and garlic in the vegetable oil or olive oil until soft, about 10 to 12 minutes, over medium heat

  2. Next, add the water or vegetable broth, bay leaves and lentils. Simmer over medium heat, covered, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

  3. Add the potatoes and cook for 10 more minutes, or until the potatoes are slightly tender, then add the spinach and cook for another minute or two, just until spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally.

  4. Remove your soup from heat and add salt and red wine vinegar, stirring to combine. Taste, and adjust seasonings to taste. A bit more salt or some fresh ground pepper might be welcome, depending on your taste.

  5. Be sure to fish out the bay leaves and remove them before serving.

Enjoy your homemade lentil, vegetable, and spinach soup.

Like Cooking With Lentils?

Lentils are cheap and perfect for vegetarians and vegans. Plus, they're great for the environment because you can buy them in bulk without any packaging needed. 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
218 Calories
5g Fat
36g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 218
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 462mg 20%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 9g 31%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 15mg 77%
Calcium 96mg 7%
Iron 4mg 23%
Potassium 960mg 20%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)