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5 from 8 votes

Italian Lentil Vegetable Soup

This hearty, one-pot recipe is loaded with nourishing vegetables and lentils and tastes wonderful with some bread or over baked potatoes. The seasoning measurements in this nourishing soup may seem like a lot, but they’re not a typo. The flavor is delish.
Cook Time55 minutes
Servings: 12 cups
Author: All recipes on jenniferskitchen.com are property of jennifer's kitchen and cannot be republished without written permission.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium to large yellow onion
  • 4 ribs celery
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 1 cup dry, uncooked brown lentils
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 cups water or vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice
  • 4 teaspoons granulated onion (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon)
  • 3 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 3 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 3 cups (one 28-ounce can) canned diced tomatoes I like petite diced tomatoes.
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice optional
  • 1 tablespoon honey or other sweetener optional

Instructions

  • Dice onion. Slice celery. Slice, dice, or julienne carrot.
  • In a large (about 6-quart) soup pot, sauté onions over medium heat until onions begin to brown (about 3 to 4 minutes). (Use this method to sauté without oil.)
  • Add celery and carrots and continue sautéing for 4 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, sort through lentils and remove any debris. Rinse lentils in colander under running water. Set aside to drain.
  • Add minced garlic to vegetables, and sauté for 1 additional minute.
  • Add 8 cups water (or broth), rice, and rinsed lentils to pan. Turn heat to high.
  • Add seasonings. Cover and bring to boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until lentils and rice are tender.
    Note: All stoves cook differently, so be sure to test the lentils to see if they are done.
  • When lentils are soft, turn heat to high and add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and salt. Heat until hot.
  • Add lemon juice and sweetener if desired and season to taste.
    Serve hot.

Notes

I use my julienne peeler to cut the carrots. It makes the prettiest carrots in just a few seconds!
This soup tastes even better the next day.
Even though I've tagged this recipe under "freezer-friendly recipes", the rice does break down slightly after being frozen. But it still tastes good.