Hearty Vegan Lentil Soup

This vegan hearty lentil soup is a go-to in colder months!  It’s rich and filling, making it the perfect meal to have on hand.

Soup is a great way to get so many nourishing healthy foods into one bowl.  Not mention, you get to make everything in one pot, which is a huge plus for me when I’m making a big batch of something!

This vegan lentil soup is inspired by lentil soup I used to get at an Italian restaurant in NYC called Gino’s.

The restaurant is no longer there but it was a staple among locals and tourists alike.  It was hole in the wall, old school type place that looked like it was right out of the film Goodfellas.  The waiters were Italian, the food was authentic and the ambiance was classic New York.  Not to mention is boasted an iconic red Zebra wallpaper.

A testament to all their food being absolutely delicious was how good the soups were.  Their lentil soup was something you dreamed about on a cold winter day and was incredibly satisfying to eat.  It was a very hearty soup that was enough to have as an entree.

I made some tweaks to what I knew of their recipe to make one entirely vegan (which it mostly was) but still possesses the abundantly nourishing taste and texture that the one at Gino’s had.

Hearty Vegan Lentil Soup

 

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Author: Justine Colbert

Recipe type: Gluten & Diary Free

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

• 1 tbs avocado oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ yellow onion, diced
• 3 small carrots, diced. (1 cup?)
• 1 shiitake mushroom, diced
• 1 tbs tomato paste
• 2 stalk of celery, chopped
• 1¾ cup dried French lentils
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups veggie broth
• 4½ cups filtered water
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 tsp coconut aminos (soy free sauce sauce)
• 1 tbs fresh thyme, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• ¼ cup parsley, chopped (for at the garnish)

Instructions

1. Start by adding garlic, onion, carrot, celery, shiitake mushrooms, thyme and ¼ tsp sea salt to a large pot and sauté for about 15 minutes on medium heat.
2. Then add in all remaining ingredients into the pot, cover with the lid and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat to a low simmer for 1 hour.
4. Once the soup is cooked, transfer about 2 cups into a blender and blend on high for about 5 seconds and pour it back into the soup and mix.
5. If you want a chunky soup, you can skip this step or only blend 1 cup.
6. Top with fresh parsley.
7. I like to add cooked penne pasta or serve with and gluten free toast and lemon wedges.
8. Enjoy!

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