If you’re looking for a hearty soup, this easy Lentil and Kale Soup is the perfect choice! It’s packed with veggies, lentils and a few simple seasonings. It comes together easily in one pan and tastes great as leftovers.
Soup is the perfect choice when you’re looking for a meal that is hearty and comforting. After you make this Lentil and Kale Soup once, it will quickly become a staple in your kitchen. It’s made with basic ingredients and comes together easily.
This recipe is naturally dairy free, vegan and gluten free. Best of all, you can adapt this recipe to suit your taste. Add more or less seasonings or substitute the kale for spinach.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Everything cooks in one pot.
- Lentil kale soup is high in protein and fiber.
- It’s flavorful and delicious.
- It is great for the entire family – kids and adults love it.
- This soup tastes great as leftovers!
Ingredients You Need
- Fresh Vegetables: Onions, carrots and celery add fresh flavor. Add chopped fresh kale or spinach for more texture and flavor. You can use any type of kale. Be sure to remove the kale leaves from the stem.
- Crushed Tomatoes: Use a can or jar without any additional spices added.
- Lentils: Green or brown lentils work best for this recipe. Red lentils will soften and break apart so they are not recommended.
- Vegetable Broth: You can also use 8 cups of water plus 2 vegetable bouillon cubes instead, if desired.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice enhances the flavors of the soup. You can omit, if desired.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: You can substitute with avocado oil.
- Spices: This recipe uses garlic cloves, cumin, oregano, salt and freshly ground black pepper. You can adjust the seasonings to suit your taste
How to Make Lentil and Kale Soup
This lentil soup recipe comes together easily in one pan. Make this easy lentil soup from scratch.
- Cook the vegetables. Sauté the onions, carrots and celery with olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat.
- Add spices – Stir in the garlic, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, lentils, broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and partially cover the pot leaving a small amount open to allow steam to escape.
- Cook for 25 to 30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Remove the bay leaf.
- Add the kale. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the greens are wilted. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Serve warm in bowls.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
- Switch out the veggies. You can add a can of diced tomatoes, chopped potatoes, sweet potatoes, or another vegetable of your choice.
- Add spicy flavor. To add more spiciness, you can add red pepper flakes or diced jalapeños. A pinch of cumin also works well for more flavor.
- Use brown or green lentils for the best results. There are many different types of lentils, but brown and green work the best for this lentil stew recipe. Red lentils will break apart so they are not recommended for this soup recipe.
- Thicken the soup. If you prefer a thicker soup, you can puree some of the soup with an immersion blender. Do this just prior to adding the spinach. You can insert the blender and do a few quick pulses to puree some of the vegetables to help thicken the soup.
- Storage: Store the kale and lentil soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze, allow the soup to cool completely. Store in a zipped-top bag or freezer safe container. Squeeze out as much air out of the bag or container before freezing. Free for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating over the stovetop.
FAQs
You don’t need to soak lentils before cooking. Rinse the lentil with fresh water before cooking to remove any debris. If you’re sensitive to lentils, you can soak them if you want to ease digestion. Or you can use sprouted lentils which are easier to digest because they are already sprouted.
Yes, you can overcook lentils by cooking them at too high of a temperature for too long. Red lentils loose their texture faster, so use brown or green lentils in soup.
Did you try this lentil and kale soup recipe? Leave a recipe rating and review below.
Lentil and Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 teaspon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 28 ounces can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups uncooked green or brown lentils, rinsed and drained
- 8 cups low sodium vegetable broth, (or 8 cups water + 2 buillon cubes)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small bunch kale or spinach, chopped (3 cups)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and saute until the onions are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, lentils, broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and partially cover the pot leaving a small amount open to allow steam to escape.Cook for 25 to 30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Remove the bay leaf.
- Add the kale and simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until the greens are wilted. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Lentils: Green or brown lentils work best for this recipe. Red lentils will soften and break apart so they are not recommended.
- Vegetable Broth: You can also use 8 cups of water plus 2 vegetable bouillon cubes instead, if desired.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice enhances the flavors of the soup. You can omit, if desired.
- Olive Oil: You can substitute with avocado oil.
This was a super easy recipe – came together fast. I added a chopped jalapeno – we like heat. I wouldnt omit the lemon. Some of us added cheese as garnish. Next time I’ll add sweet potatoes. Thank u for this new addition!
Ehh, it was just OK. Not the best lentil soup I’ve ever made. I thought it was kind of sour tasting. (from the tomatoes, I think). It didn’t seem “done” at 30 minutes, so I cooked it for a bit longer.
Thanks so much for your feedback! Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy this soup as it consistently receives good reviews. There should be no sour taste from the tomatoes.
best kale lentil soup i’ve ever had, and it’s super easy!
I could eat this all winter long! Love the squeeze of lemon at the end for some brightness.
I loooove lentil soup and I always have kale in my fridge so this sounds amazing!