Comforting Lentil Soup

vegan, soy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, refined sugar-free

Delicious, nutritious, and comforting, this soup just may make you a lentil lover! After my coworker Beth sent me this recipe, I made it almost every week all winter long! I personalized it by adding nutritional yeast, garlic, and of course, kale. Feel free to make it your own with ingredients you love. The stewed tomatoes give it a nice complex flavor, and I'd highly recommend them, although regular diced tomatoes would work if added earlier in the cooking process along with the broth.

Serves: 6  / Prep time: 15 min / Total time: 40 min

Ingredients:​

• 1 Tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 3 celery ribs, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• salt and pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 3/4 cup dried lentils (green or brown)*
• 1/2 cup uncooked rice
• ​6 cups vegetable broth (or something like "Better than Bouillon No Chicken Base")**
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• handful of chopped kale or other greens, optional
• 2 14.5-ounce cans stewed tomatoes, chopped​
• A few fresh parsley leaves, optional

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large soup pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, celery, and season with a dash of salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in nutritional yeast and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
2. Sir in broth, lentils, rice, oregano, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes (if you pre-soaked the lentils and rice, check after 15 min). Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes and greens. 
3. Stir in stewed tomatoes and optional chopped greens, and cook 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, ladle into bowls, and serve with a garnish of parsley on top. 

*I like to soak my lentils and rice together for an hour or so before making the soup. This step is unnecessary, but helps them cook a little faster.

​**Using Better than Bouillon is a convenient way to make tasty broth. This "No Chicken" flavor is my favorite!