Lentil and Vegetable Soup with French Green Lentils
Lentil and Vegetable Soup with French Green Lentils is a hearty soup filled with lentils, carrots, onions, celery, thyme and garlic. It’s different from the typical lentil soup in that it only contains a cup of lentils, but is filled with lots of vegetables in a chicken stock base. The French green lentils are firmer than other lentils, and really hold their shape in this soup.
The Equipment You’ll Need
- A Food Processor- I find this is the best way to chop all these vegetables quickly.
- A Dutch Oven- Dutch ovens, in my opinion, make the best soup.
The Ingredients You’ll Need for Lentil and Vegetable Soup with French Green Lentils
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil- This recipe calls for a large amount of olive oil, so using a nice mild oil makes a difference. I like California Ranch olive oil.
- Lentils- I used French green lentils. I find American lentils too mushy.
- Chicken Stock- I always use my homemade chicken stock. The recipe is all the way at the bottom of this post.
- Carrots- Organic carrots taste better, I think.
- Garlic- I like the peeled garlic, and I store it in the freezer.
- A Jalapeno- This doesn’t make the soup at all spicy, but it adds a nice flavor.
- Fresh Thyme- You don’t even have to cut it up, just throw in the whole stock.
How I Made my Soup
- First, I used my food processor to chop all the vegetables.
- Next, I made sure I rinsed my lentils. Sometimes lentils are gritty or have little stones mixed in, so you definitely need to look them over and rinse them.
- Then, I added the rest of the ingredients, and let it simmer away.
This Lentil and Vegetable Soup with French Green Lentils is one of my very favorite soups. Before developing this soup, I didn’t really care for lentil soup. For me, lentil soups were too mushy and too full of earthy lentil flavor for me. But, in this lentil soup, the sweet carrots, garlic and herbs really complement the nutty flavor of the firm French green lentils. So, whether you love lentil soup or aren’t too crazy about, I hope you’ll try this truly unique lentil soup.
Lentil and Vegetable Soup with French Green Lentils
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, cut in large pieces
- 3 stalks celery, cut in large pieces
- 6 peeled carrots, cut in large pieces
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 4 cloves peeled garlic
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 cup dry French green lentils, rinsed
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 halved jalapeno
- 1 stalk of fresh thyme
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven, over medium heat. In a food processor, pulse the onions until chopped and then add to the pot. Repeat with the celery, and then the carrots. Cook for about ten minutes, with the salt and the pepper, until the carrots start to soften. Mince the garlic in the food processor and add it to the pot. Add the tomato paste.
- Add the lentils, chicken stock, jalapeno, and herbs. Simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender about 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and thyme stalks and serve.
Chicken Stock
Ingredients
- 4½ lbs. chicken breasts and wings with skin and bones
- 10 cups water
- 2 peeled onions
- 2 peeled carrots
- 3 peeled parsley roots
- 1 tbsp. kosher salt
- 4 stalks celery
- 1 peeled parsnip
- 2 tbsp. garlic cloves
- 1 cup fresh parsley and fresh dill
Instructions
- Put the chicken and the salt in a large, tall pot and cover with ten cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, skimming any scum that forms.
- Add all the vegetables and herbs and simmer for two and a half hours. Pour the soup through a strainer to remove everything but the broth.
