Potato Lentil Soup

🍲 Why We Love This Recipe

• Quick and easy: Just 4 simple steps and about one hour total from start to finish (mostly hands off). Doesn't get much easier for a healthy, hearty dinner!
• Packed with vegetables: Potatoes, celery, carrot, onion, and a whole lot of kale.
• Vegan: This potato lentil soup is fully vegan and gluten free, so it's perfect for just about any dietary needs.
• Meal prep friendly: This soup tastes even better the next day. Prep a big batch or two over the weekend and enjoy all week for a quick lunch or dinner.

🥔 Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this potato lentil soup:

📋 Ingredient Notes

• Lentils: Brown or green lentils are the best choice for this potato lentil soup. They're my favorite choice for a brothy soup like this one as they don't turn to mush! As you can see in the photos, they retain their shape perfectly and add a bit of texture to the soup. Don't use yellow or red lentils, which will completely fall apart when cooked in broth. (They're much better for a puréed soup or stew!)
• Kale: We personally prefer lacinato kale in this soup, but curly kale is also completely fine!
• Potatoes: Baby potatoes are my favorite choice. Since they're already small, you only have to halve them, so it cuts down a bit on prep time. They also cook perfectly and don't break down too much. You can also use any variety of yellow potato, but we wouldn't recommend russets.
• Shallot: You can sub with an equal amount of yellow onion.
• Vegetable broth: Want to make your own? Try this recipe made from leftover vegetable scraps.
• Parsley: Curly or flat leaf both work here.
• Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed is always best!
• Butter: We used vegan butter, but of course if you're not vegan, regular butter is fine. You can also sub with olive oil if preferred.
• Salt: We always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt unless otherwise noted.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

(1) Add butter to a large pot over medium heat. Once melted, add shallots/onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. 

(2) Add in carrots, celery, potatoes, oregano, cumin, salt, coriander, paprika and pepper and stir well. Continue cooking for 5 minutes.

(3) Stir in lentils, then add in broth and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes, until lentils are cooked and potatoes are fork tender. 

(4) Add in kale, parsley and lemon juice and cook for an additional 5 minutes before serving. 

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• Storage: let soup cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 5 days. Reheat in a small saucepan over medium heat.
• Freezer storage: Let the soup cool completely before transferring to an airtight, freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 6 months. To reheat, defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then heat over medium in a saucepan.
• Serve with:
  • Italian chopped salad
  • Vegan garlic bread
  • Apple pecan salad with balsamic vinaigrette
  • Vegan cornbread
• Add a protein: if you're vegan, try adding the poultry-seasoned tofu from this recipe. If you're not vegan, this would work well with leftover shredded rotisserie chicken or Italian sausage.

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