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Carrot and Lentil Soup in a white bowl with a spoon.
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Carrot and Lentil Soup

Easy and delicious Carrot and Lentil Soup is made with simple ingredients in just 30 minutes! It's high in protein, full of flavor, kid-tested, and parent-approved! Your kids will love it!
Course dinner, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American, Mediterranean
Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 176kcal
Author Kristi

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 onion chopped.
  • 4-5 carrots Medium sized. Washed and sliced - see notes.
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 cup lentils rinsed and drained
  • 6 cups vegetable broth Can use chicken broth or stock (if you prefer). See notes.
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • salt to taste (see notes)

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a Dutch Oven over medium heat.
    1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Add finely chopped onions and sliced carrots. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
    1 onion, 4-5 carrots
  • Add minced garlic. Cook for one minute.
    4 garlic cloves
  • Add cumin, turmeric, and thyme. Stir into vegetables.
    1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • Stir in lentils and broth. Bring to a boil.
    1 cup lentils, 6 cups vegetable broth
  • Reduce heat to bring it to a simmer. Cook for 30-35 minutes (see notes).
  • Add balsamic vinegar and black pepper. Stir.
    1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, ½ teaspoon black pepper, salt
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  • To make this soup most kid-friendly, chop onion and carrots until they are about the size of a cooked lentil. A good quality food chopper will save you so much time.
  • Carefully taste the soup before adding salt to it. If you are using broth made without sodium, you will likely want to add some salt.
  • If you would like a thinner soup, you can add an additional 0.5 - 1 cup of broth (or water).
  • If no one in your family requires a salt restriction, I suggest adding a half teaspoon of salt the first time you make this, keeping in mind that store-bought chicken and vegetable broths contain salt (sodium). Once you have your kids sold on this soup, consider gradually reducing the amount of salt each time you make it.
  • Use either brown or green lentils.
  • Increase cooking time to 35 minutes if using green lentils.
  • To save time, use pre-cooked steamed lentils and simmer for only about ten minutes. You can find them in the produce section of Trader Joe's grocery stores.
  • To save time, you can use pre-packaged Mirepoix (diced onion, carrots, and celery) found in the produce section of most grocery stores.
  • This lentil soup can be made ahead of time and reheated either on the stovetop or in the microwave.
  • Up to two cups of the broth can be substituted with water, if needed. However, if using less-sodium broth, I do not suggest substituting any of it with water. I tried it and it didn't taste very good ;)

Nutrition

Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 972mg | Potassium: 489mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 7319IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg