Katie Stew

A rich, simmering blend of my favorite things

French Lentil Soup

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Ok. So I didn’t go home and make the Brown Rice Mushroom Casserole like I said on Monday. But, I still did pretty well on the healthy/I need some vegetables front. I made lentil soup. I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned it before here, but I love lentil soup. It is simple, hearty, filling, and it just makes you feel good about the world.

And having a grilled cheese sandwich on the side certainly helps.

Over the years, I’ve made many varieties of lentil soup. It’s good with Italian sausage inside. Sometimes I make a spicy curried lentil soup. This time I went with my classic French Lentil. Whichever variety you want to make, there is a really simple base you can use and you’ll have soup in no time. Seriously, lentils only take about 20 minutes to cook, so you can have a pot of fabulous soup, made from scratch, in about half an hour.

French Lentil Soup

So what makes this lentil soup, “French”? For me, it is the flavor profile of the thyme, rosemary, and Dijon mustard. The base of the soup is a basic mirepoix, which is pretty darn French too. What is a mirepoix you ask? Basically it is a combination of chopped celery, carrots, and onion that form the base for many soups, stocks, casseroles, and other dishes. If you start your recipe with these things, you know that you’ll end up with some nice flavor. There are other versions out there, depending on region. For example, in Creole cooking, the mirepoix type base is referred to as the “Holy Trinity” and consists of onions, celery, and bell peppers.

Anyways, if you want to shake things up, make a curried lentil soup for example, leave out the thyme, rosemary, and mustard and instead add 1/2 tsp of chili flakes and 1-2 TB curry powder. You can also add diced potatoes for more substance.

For an Italian version, try adding oregano some Italian sausage.

Hopefully you’re seeing a trend here. Lentil soup is a simple, lovely thing that can be customized in many different ways. Start off with a solid base and have some fun.

Extra fun fact, this recipe is vegan! So, if you ever have some friend that goes vegan and don’t know what to feed them, this is an excellent option. Also for vegetarians, low carb, low fat, meatless monday, lactose intolerant, or whatever complicated person comes over for dinner.

French Lentil Soup

  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1/2 cup diced carrots
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 1/2 jalapeno, diced (optional)
  • 1 tb olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/2 lb lentils
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste

Saute celery, carrots, onion, and jalapeno in olive oil until vegetables soften and begin to brown. Add garlic and saute for another minute, until fragrant. Add remaining ingredients and about 4 cups water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15-20 minutes, until lentils are soft. Add water as needed to get the consistency you want.

If you want a slightly creamier consistency, hit the soup with your immersion blender for a few seconds and blend some of the lentils up. You can also accomplish this by smashing some lentils on the side of the pot if you don’t have the blender option.

Enjoy!

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