Sometimes you just crave something simple, comforting, and nourishing. This red lentil minestrone soup checks all those boxes. Cozy up to a bowl today!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Homemade soup is self-care in a bowl. There’s something almost therapeutic about mixing humble ingredients, seasoning them, and letting them simmer, filling the house with their aroma. Time expands. Things slow down. Take a moment to breathe and press “pause” on the million tasks clamoring for your attention. You’re healing yourself.
This easy-to-make soup is one you’ll turn to again and again when you want to feel cared for or if you’re just looking for something healthy to put on the table. Chances are, you have many of the ingredients in your pantry already. Don’t worry if you don’t have all the vegetables in the exact amounts listed below—feel free to adjust the portions or substitute any veggies you have on hand. This soup is perpetually evolving at our house, depending on what’s in season.
Ingredients
- Celery: In addition to being low in calories and high in fiber, celery contains a variety of antioxidants.
- Carrots: A fantastic source of vision-promoting beta carotene. Plus, carrots add a cheerful pop of color.
- Yellow squash: Yellow squash, also known as summer squash, is packed with vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B6, and C, as well as folate, magnesium, and potassium.
- Zucchini: Not only is zucchini delicious, cooking it makes its many antioxidants easier to absorb. Among other things, it contains nutrients that promote eye and heart health.
- Italian seasoning: A convenient flavor-boosting spice blend.
- Garlic powder: Boosts flavor and adds many of the benefits of fresh garlic, including promoting healthy blood pressure.
- Onion powder: Adds depth of flavor without the need for large chunks of onion in the soup.
- Red lentils: Red lentils blend especially well in tomato-based soups, as they take on a softer texture as they cook. They are high in fiber, protein, and folate.
- Diced tomatoes with their juices: A convenient, affordable way to get the antioxidant benefit of tomatoes. Perfect for using in soups or stews. Opt for low-sodium or sodium-free versions if available.
- Low-sodium or no-sodium vegetable broth: Adds color and subtle flavor to the soup. Although water can be substituted, additional seasoning may be needed to balance out the flavor.
- Tomato paste: Lends a savory undertone to the soup. Tomato paste contains a variety of vitamins and minerals, including lycopene, a powerful antioxidant.
- Nutritional yeast: Rich in B vitamins, nutritional yeast has a cheese-like, savory flavor.
- Lemon juice: Brightens and enhances the flavor.
- Spinach: One of the healthiest foods out there! Among other things, spinach contains vitamins A, C, and K as well as calcium and iron. Cooking it helps you absorb more calcium and iron.
Instructions
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable broth over medium heat. Next, add the celery, carrots, yellow squash, and zucchini. Cook the vegetables over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for at least 8 minutes.
After the vegetables have started to soften, add Italian seasoning, onion powder, and garlic powder to the pot and stir well. Continue to cook over medium heat for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are evenly coated with seasoning and have softened. If the vegetables start to stick to the pot at any point, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth and stir.
Next, add the rest of the vegetable broth, water, diced tomatoes with their juices, red lentils, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender.
During this time, if you prefer pasta in your soup, cook it in a separate pot according to the package directions. Drain the cooked pasta and set it aside.
To finish, stir in the spinach leaves, nutritional yeast, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Add cracked black pepper, to taste. If you would like additional acidity, add more lemon juice, a half teaspoon at a time (taste as you go to avoid overdoing it).
When the spinach leaves wilt, remove the soup from the heat. Stir in the cooked pasta, if using, and serve.
Related
Hungry for more? Try these:
Simple Red Lentil Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- ¾ cup celery diced (approximately 2 medium stalks)
- ¾ cup carrots diced (approximately 2 medium carrots)
- 1 cup yellow squash diced (approximately 1 small yellow squash)
- 1 cup zucchini diced (approximately 1 small zucchini)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon onion powder (or ¼ cup red onion, diced)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic, minced)
- 4 cups low-sodium or no-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with their juices
- ¾ cup red lentils
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 handfuls spinach leaves
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (to taste)
- cracked black pepper (to taste)
Optional
- ½ cup uncooked chickpea pasta
Instructions
- Cook the vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable broth in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots, yellow squash, and zucchini and cook the vegetables over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for approximately 8 minutes.
- Season the vegetables: Add Italian seasoning, onion powder, and garlic powder to the pot and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, until the vegetables are coated with seasoning and have softened. If needed, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth to prevent sticking.
- Add the lentils, liquids, and tomatoes: To the pot, add the rest of the vegetable broth, water, diced tomatoes with their juices, red lentils, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender.
- Add the finishing touches: Stir in the spinach leaves, nutritional yeast, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Add cracked black pepper and additional lemon juice, a half teaspoon at a time, to taste. Remove from heat and serve when the spinach leaves have wilted.
- If including pasta (optional): While the soup is simmering, in a separate pot, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and stir the cooked pasta into the soup at the end.
Notes
- If you are adding pasta to the soup, I recommend cooking it separately and adding it to the soup at the end, as noted in the recipe. While you’ll have one less pot to clean if you cook it in the same pot as the lentils and other ingredients, doing so will impact the flavor of the soup. This is especially the case with grain-free pastas (like chickpea pasta), which often release a scummy foam as they cook.
