The Best Lentil Soup

4.60 from 10 votes

There is simply nothing more satisfying than coming home from work and enjoying a nice bowl of this healthy, comforting meal. This soup and recipe have been in my family for generations. This recipe is actually completely plant-based if you omit the bacon which we often do, so feel free to adjust and make it according to your liking.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Bulgarian

Keyword: Bulgarian Recipe, lentil soup, soup recipe

Servings:

Author: The Modern Nonna

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup lentils dry lentils soaked in water for 60 minutes
2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
3 slices cubed bacon leave out for a vegan option
1 yellow onion finely diced
2 carrots finely cubed
1 celery rib finely chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon dry oregano
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup tomato sauce plain
4 cups vegetable stock unsalted
3 cups water
handful of fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

Soak 1 cup of lentils in four cups of cold water for a minimum of one hour. Rinse and drain.
In a big pot on the stove, add the oil and finely chopped bacon. Let it crisp up on medium heat. I like to discard 3/4 of the oil once the bacon is cooked and leave a little in the pot before adding the onions but feel free to leave it if you wish.
Add the finely diced veggies (onions,celery,carrots) and sauté for a few minutes until soft. Add the garlic, and stir. Add oregano, salt, pepper, and paprika, to taste. You can always taste and adjust for salt as you cook. Sauté the garlic for one minute, add the tomato paste and stir.
Add the strained lentils to the pot along with the tomato sauce. Add the vegetable broth and water. Let it come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils are soft. This should take 35-40 minutes.
When the lentils are cooked, take the pot off the heat, add a handful of finely chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy

Video

Nutrition