This Red Lentil Soup with Kale, Lemon and Pepper is one of my favorite recipes! It is that delicious. Red lentils, in particular, are extremely simple to cook and have the amazing ability to dissolve into a creamy soup in very little time. Even my son, who is a notoriously picky eater, devours this red lentil soup!
Many people shy away from red lentils due to their high carbohydrate content. However, the glycemic index, or the measure of how food impacts blood sugar, of red lentils is low. Eating low-glycemic foods helps slow carbohydrate entry into the bloodstream, preventing spikes in blood sugar. Over time, incorporating foods like red lentils into your diet will allow your body to efficiently utilize energy. Additionally, one cup of cooked red lentils has only 230 calories and 18 grams of protein!
I came across this recipe in the award-winning book At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen: Celebrating the Art of Eating Well by Amy Chaplin. With over 150 vegan and vegetarian recipes, this book has easily become one of my favorites. I cannot wait to share more tasty recipes from this book with you!
The original red lentil soup recipe calls for spinach. However, I substituted kale instead of spinach. I have made this red lentil soup with spinach and it was equally delicious, I just prefer to use whatever green I have readily available. If you are interested in learning more about kale, check out Well Being Secrets, which lists over 23 science-based health benefits!
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Red Lentil Soup with Kale, Lemon and Pepper
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
Soup
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 5 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 cups red lentils (washed and drained)
- 6 cups water (plus more as needed)
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt (plus more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups kale leaves
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (plus more to taste)
Toppings
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add lentils and water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes or until lentils are cooked and becoming creamy. Stir pot every 10 minutes or so to make sure lentils are not sticking.
- Remove lid, add salt and more water, if needed, to reach your desired consistency. Cover again and cook for 5 to 10 minutes longer or until lentils have completely dissolved and soup is creamy.
- Stir in pepper and kale, and cool for 1 minute or until kale is wilted. Remove from heat and add lemon juice.
- Season to taste and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and black pepper.
sarah
Thanks for sharing such a simple recipe. I'm looking forward to giving it a try! Yummo!
Michael
Quick and easy to make. Tasty and filling.
★★★★★
Lindsey
Glad you liked it!
Michael
Made it again. Changed it up a little, using a mix of kale, chard, and spinach and a little curry powder. For those who dislike leftovers where there's not quite enough to do anything with the remains, both times I've made it, I used the whole bag/box of lentils (somewhere between 2 1/2 and 3 cups) and it's fine. Different brands also render a slightly different consistency but it's all good! It freezes nicely - a small zip-lock baggie is one cup. Great for lunches.
★★★★★
Lindsey
I love that you added curry powder! That sounds delicious, I might have to try it!
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Mary a
Just made this easy recipe and it is so delicious. I too added some kitchari spices.
★★★★★