Hearty Red Lentil Soup

Hearty Red Lentil Soup for a Warming Winter Meal

Have you tried red lentils?

I’ve gone for most of my life mostly unaware of red lentils. I’ve eaten plenty of ordinary brown lentils, and green split peas, but somehow missed knowing about the red lentils.

So…in case you’re like me:

Let me introduce you to Red Lentils! And a Simple Hearty Red Lentil Soup

First of all: you can get Red Lentils at pretty much any grocery store, and I normally grab a bag at Walmart in the bean aisle.

But the price is usually better buying in bulk if you can find the red lentils. The lentils below are the cheapest per ounce that I found on Amazon.com.

Affiliate links included.

I personally like how pretty the red lentils are, and how they are so brightly-colored!

Note: Red lentils are quite different from Brown lentils! Brown lentils hold their shape for longer when cooked, and the red lentils behave more like split peas and disintegrate when cooked, resulting in a smoother soup or stew.

So, if you swap your lentils out, you’ll end up with a way different soup, in both texture, appearance and taste.

Let’s get started…

Hearty Red Lentil Soup

The Ingredients

Combine in a large pot:

3 Tbs Olive oil
1 large chopped purple onion
A handful of garlic cloves
1 Tbs onion powder
4 celery stalks, chopped–include leaves
1/2 bunch green onions, sliced
2 Tbs Italian Seasoning
2-4 Bay Leaves, if available
1 Lb Red Lentils

Sauté everything over a medium flame. When warmed through, cover and cook over low-medium flame, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

When vegetables are soft (15 mins or so), add:

2 quarts water or vegetable stock
4 Tbs Nutritional Yeast Flakes

Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until lentils are soft–45 min to an hour or more. If your red lentil soup becomes too thick, add more water as needed.

When red lentils are soft, add