You'll love this lentil spinach soup! It's the perfect, easy one-pot dinner for Meatless Monday - packed full of protein from lentils. With bold seasonings and a touch of hot sauce, this lentil spinach soup will tantalize your taste buds!
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Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.
Lentils are my go-to ingredient when I want a fulfilling meat-free dish. Sometimes I'll add them to a flavourful sausage soup, and other times, I keep the dish meatless, like this Creamy Carrot and Lentil Soup. No matter which soup you make, lentils are sure to provide deliciousness, nutrition, and convenience in every pot!
Ingredients
- Olive oil - Canola oil, or avocado oil will work here as well.
- Yellow onion - White onion or sweet onion will also work. The onion should be chopped.
- Carrots & Celery - Brings flavor!
- Garlic - Minced garlic
- Seasonings - Salt and pepper to taste. Additional flavor is added with ground cumin and oregano.
- Brown lentils - Lentils do not need to be soaked, simply rinse and pick over to remove any debris.
- Vegetable broth - Your favorite will work here. For a different flavor profile, try other broth flavors.
- Fresh spinach leaves - Larger spinach leaves or baby spinach leaves will work.
- Hot sauce - Choose your favorite!
Tools needed for this recipe
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- Wooden spoon
- Cutting board and sharp knife
How To Make Lentil Spinach Soup
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the cumin and oregano.
Add the lentils and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until the lentils are softened.
Add the spinach leaves, salt, and pepper. Simmer for another 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted and soup is heated through. Stir in hot sauce.
Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve hot. Enjoy!
How to store
Before storing it in the refrigerator, allow your soup to cool. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.
The soup freezes incredibly well. I like to freeze soups in smaller portions, as this makes it easier to reheat. Souper Cubes are a perfect solution for portioning and freezing soup. Simply pop out a frozen block of soup and warm it on the stove.
Serving suggestions
This hearty and veggie-filled lentil soup is amazing on its own, but to round out this dish into a perfect meal try any of these ideas:
Salad - Make a fresh crisp spinach salad with any leftover spinach you have. For even more protein try my Vietnamese Chicken Salad Recipe. Serving this in the cooler months, try Cranberry Pecan Apple Salad Recipe.
Warm cornbread or dinner rolls - A must-have with soups and stews! My Classic Southern Cornbread Recipe or Golden Sweet Potato Cornbread is always a hit. Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls and Soft Air Fryer Dinner Rolls are perfect for soaking up the broth.
Hot Sandwich - A warm sandwich with soup is a match made in heaven. Air Fryer Shrimp Po’Boy Sandwiches are delicious! Want a heartier sandwich, try my Garlic Butter Cheese Steak Sandwiches, and don't skimp on the garlic butter!
Recipe Substitutions
Lentils - This recipe contains brown lentils. Swap those out for the more nutrient-dense black lentil, or a softer red lentil.
Spinach - Kale is an easy substitute for spinach, a bit more on the bitter side, but the flavors of the soup will easily overpower.
Stock - We use vegetable stock, which keeps this dish meatless. Chicken stock or even garlic stock would taste great in this lentil soup.
Optional Ingredients:
- Small diced potatoes or sweet potatoes
- Ham hock or smoked turkey
- Spritz of lemon juice at the end
FAQs
Thankfully lentils do not need to be soaked before making soup. It is recommended that they be rinsed and picked over to remove any debris. Depending on the type of lentil used, uncooked lentils will be done in 15-30 minutes.
One-half cup of uncooked black lentils is an incredibly nutrient-dense food, providing 26g of protein, 18g of dietary fiber, 100mg of calcium, 8mg of iron, and 960mg of potassium according to the USDA. That's the same amount of iron found in three cups of spinach and a whopping four times more potassium than one banana!
Notes
- For a thicker soup, use less vegetable stock/broth or mash some of the lentils with a wooden spoon while they are cooking. If you want to add more protein, feel free to add in cooked diced chicken or sausage.
- For a smooth creamy soup, use an immersion blender. Blend completely or partially depending on how smooth you want it.
Looking for more soup recipes? Try these out:
If you have tried this recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Lentil Spinach Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 cup Yellow onion chopped
- ½ cup Carrots diced
- ½ cup Celery chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons Ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 cup Brown lentils rinsed and picked over
- 4 cups Vegetable broth
- 2 cups Fresh spinach leaves
- 1 tablespoon Hot sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the cumin and oregano.
- Add the lentils and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until the lentils are softened.
- Add the spinach leaves, salt, and pepper. Simmer for another 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted and soup is heated through. Stir in hot sauce.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve hot. Enjoy!
Notes
- For a thicker soup, use less vegetable stock/broth or mash some of the lentils with a wooden spoon while they are cooking. If you want to add more protein, feel free to add in cooked diced chicken or sausage.
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