Smoky Red Lentil Soup with Spinach

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Yes, we are here! Our kitchens are full of warm smells, pots are simmering, the mirepoix is chopped, our aprons are splattered, and we are full-on soup fiends right now. The list of soup-joys is long, but hearty, scoopable, rich, creamy vegan bowl-hug? TOP O’ THE LIST, PALS.

This soup is ultra creamy and super smoky, full of vegetables, and the perfect blend between chunky and smooth with those little red lentils that just gently melt into soupy deliciousness. The final squeeze of lemon juice wakes everything up, and the honey is the perfect subtle sweet finish that you didn’t even know you needed.

It begs to be dunked and dunked again with all kinds of breads, crackers, and flatbreads. So much flavor, so much nutrition, so many good feelings all around.

Don’t get us wrong here, we love a soup with a good bacony start like this one or yummy Italian sausage bits (stay tuned!), but this one boasts big, big flavors while still being totally plant-based.

How To Make This Lentil Soup

Okay, so this is actually a pretty straightforward soup party. There’s the classic carrot/onion/celery trio who always show up early, then the garlic, cumin, and turmeric come in with a special guest – a clomp of beautiful smoked paprika. Once your cutie little red lentils join, the simmering does all the work and you get to quietly ghost away to your couch (or maybe stay and dance around if you’re a party person).

To make it happen:

1. Build your smoky rich veg and spice base.
2. Add your lentils and broth.
3. Simmer away and enjoy all the cozy house smells.
4. Pile in a couple handfuls of fresh spinach and coconut milk for creaminess.
5. Finish with onion powder, garlic powder, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a honey drizzle (optional).

Fresh spinach and yummy dreamy coconut milk are always welcome on the guest list, but it’s really those party favors at the end that clinch it (are we going too far with this party analogy? possibly.) The onion and garlic powder add just a hint more concentrated flavor, and then you get that bit of acid from the lemon juice cutting through the richness.

Of course, if you’re going for a totally vegan get-together (okay, we’re done now), you’ll have to leave this out, but that honey drizzle at the end is such a unique surprise.

“I’m sorry, drizzle honey into my SOUP?!” you say. And yes. Yes, that is what we’re saying. The tiniest hint of sweetness to cap off this smoky soiree (whoops, did it again) is a real *chef’s kiss* moment.

What To Eat With This Lentil Soup

This soup is so cozy and filling that it really doesn’t need anything else, BUT listen, it is also so extremely dippable! Thanks to the lentils it really thickens up making it IDEAL for soup dips. We could not be stopped with a batch of crispy socca (so good!) for maximum rip & dip joy, but a quickish batch of no knead bread, a yummy green salad, or just a super easy frozen or packaged naan/flatbread would not disappoint.

Super Filling and Deliciously Vegan

There’s just so much to love about this one. So nutritious and satisfying thanks to the piles of veg and the nutrient-dense, full of good-for-you, powerhouse lentils.

It tastes like it should have taken hours to make with the complexity of the smoky spice, the tinge of coconut in the background, but it really comes together so easily. Creamy rich while being completely vegan (if you omit the honey, of course) and it will keep you filled up in belly and heart all the day through.

Hello fall, we’re so very ready for you. ❤️

The deep richness from the spices, the creamy coconut milk finish, and the serious meatiness of the the never-let-you-down lentils make this one not to be missed.

Yesplease forever.

Red Lentil Soup: FAQs

Can you use different types of lentils in this soup?

Different types of lentils cook differently, so we’d really recommend red lentils in this case. They’re just so good!

How can I make this soup in the Instant Pot?

Sauté your carrots, celery, and onions in the Instant Pot with a little bit of olive oil. Add in your garlic and spices and cook for an additional minute or two. Add in the broth and lentils and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes with a quick release when the soup finishes. Stir in the coconut milk, chopped spinach, salt, and lemon juice to finish.

What other proteins could I add to this lentil soup?

Beans or crispy tofu bits would be delicious here to keep things vegan-friendly!

Can I freeze this soup?

Absolutely! Just freeze in a freezer-safe bag or container.

Source notes: This recipe was inspired by a smoky red lentil soup our friends Alex and Sonja and their veg-friendly cookbook called Pretty Simple Cooking. I left out the balsamic, upped the amount of lentils, and added some extra finishers because this is just how I live my life, but the base of this soup came from their very lovely recipe.

Print

Smoky Red Lentil Soup with Spinach

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• Author: Lindsay
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings

Print Recipe

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Description

This Smoky Lentil Soup is ultra creamy and totally vegan! Packed to the brim with veggies, red lentils, coconut milk, and lots of spices, it’s a total win for the coziest months of the year! 

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Ingredients

Units

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• half of an onion, minced
• 2 carrots, peeled and minced
• 2 stalks celery, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• one 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
• a lot of fresh spinach, chopped
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (more or less to taste)
• juice of one lemon
• garlic powder, onion power, black pepper, or honey to taste

Socca:

• 1 batch of crispy socca (or use a flatbread or naan for dipping)

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Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery; sauté until softened, about 5-10 minutes. 
2. Add the garlic, spices, and lentils. Stir to combine and let it stay on the heat for just a minute to get the garlic smelling really good. 
3. Add the broth. Bring to a simmer; place lid partially on the pot and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking time. 
4. Add coconut milk, spinach, salt, lemon juice, and season to taste. (I like a little drizzle of honey, and a couple shakes of garlic powder, onion powder, and cranks of freshly ground black pepper.)
5. Serve with socca or some other flatbread for dipping and dunking. Wholesome, colorful, and SO yummy!

• Category: Soup
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: lentil soup, vegan soup, red lentil soup

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! 🌟

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We Are Big Lentil Fans Over Here! See?

• Red Curry Lentils (perfect for cozy szn)
• The Best Detox Crockpot Lentil Soup (one of our most-loved recipes on Pinch of Yum!)
• Simple 5 Ingredient Baked Falafel (super easy to make!)
• Instant Pot Cauliflower Curry (throw it all in the Instant Pot and done)

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Delicious Soup Recipes To Cozy Up To This Fall

Country Chicken Stew

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Country Chicken Stew

Hello hello and welcome to soup town! We’re so glad you’re here. We’re easing into The Soup Series with a warm, rustic, cozy country chicken stew that will slow you down and fill you up in all the very best ways.

Our first soup is a love letter to slow food and an absolute stunner: juicy chicken cooked right in the stew, shredded piles of cabbage and chomps of tender carrot, almost creamy beans, and a rich, smoky broth thanks to a bacon, onion and garlic build. We’re here for all of it.

So, this isn’t necessarily like a hectic Tuesday kind of soup, it’s a little more involved. Think more of a slow-quiet Sunday kind of soup. A zen at the end of a long week Friday night dinner. An evening when you just want some quiet time in the kitchen sort of meal. It will take you a bit to bring it together, with a little bit of pre-planning involved (there’s a bean-soak situation coming your way, please trust us), but don’t be mad. Every single step will be worth it.

What Goodness Is In This Chicken Stew?

Longer on time, yes, but the ingredient list is pretty simple and for that, we are #blessed.

• whole chicken (about 4lbs)
• dried navy beans
• bacon
• onion, garlic & herbs
• water
• carrots & cabbage for veggie goodness
• a swoop of red wine vinegar or squeeze of lemon to finish.

How To Make This Chicken Stew Happen

Are we in a fight? Bean-soaking?!

Yes. Okay, sure you *could* use a can of beans. We tried it. It works. But listen, there is something so special about using fresh beans and yes that involves soaking them first for a good long while. So you will have to remember in the morning, or even better the night before, to put them in some water. But that’s it! Just put them in there, give a little side-eye if you’re a teensy bit upset about this extra step, and then walk away! Don’t even think about them. We promise the richness and thickness and texture (they hold up better than canned) delivered in this stew is so A+ 100 WE WOULD NOT LIE.

We prefer paper-thin slices of onion and garlic for this one, just because it makes everything feel a little more texturally pleasing, but you could certainly do a rough chop of those if that’s more your style.

Get those going with some smoky bacon – and please note, the thicker cut bacon holds up better and turns into the most delectable little meaty bits in the final stew. If you don’t have that though, the regular thin-sliced totally works and you can just pull out any squigglers at the end before serving if it becomes a texture issue. It’s really all about the flavor depth it brings from the start.

And then we just plopped a whole ding dang chicken in there.

It truly is the most foolproof way to cook a whole chicken. You can’t mess it up. And the richness that using the whole bird brings to the broth is truly unsurpassed. Do it and do it now. We promise the little guy will cook in an hour.

1. Pre-soak your beans (4-12 hours).

2. Sauté bacon, onion, and garlic.

3. Plop in the beans and the seasoned bird (just a salt & pepp rub under the skin if you can manage).

4. Toss in a little herb bundle, tied up for easy removal.

5. Cover with water, then lid it and walk away.

6. When chicken is done, pull out and shred. Add half of the shredded chicken back into the stew. Reserve the other half for some yums later in the week or toss in the freezer!

7. Add carrots and cabbage and cook until soft.

8. Top with some more fresh herbs and a little swish of something acidic to bring it to life.

Delicious, Humble, and So Cozy

Listen, coming hot off the SOS series, the process might feel a little extra here, but SO IS THE FLAVOR.

The texture and heartiness, the almost creamy thickness of the broth thanks to the dried beans and the whole chicken, the piles of veggies, the bread dips that are so very welcome to pass through here (hello no knead bread anyone?). We really can’t stop making this one – even with that whole bean-soaking thing.

So, though it might be a bit of a jaunt from the quick weeknight dinner path, we swear every patient second will be rewarded with a house filled with the warmest of warms while you breathe in the change of season with a humble little bowl of deep rich cozy deliciousness.

Country Chicken Stew: FAQs

Can you freeze this stew?

Absolutely! Just make sure to freeze it in a freezer-safe container or bag.

How can I make this soup extra creamy?

It’s a pretty creamy soup as-is – the beans let off a bit of starch that really adds to the lusciousness. If you wanted to add a splash of cream though, go for it!

Could I use chicken breasts or thighs instead of a whole chicken?

In a pinch, yes, you could definitely shred up some chicken breasts or thighs. If you have the time though, this is the perfect recipe for a whole chicken. SO much flavor comes from it a whole chicken that you don’t quite get from chicken breasts or thighs.

Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?

Source Notes: This recipe was inspired by a French bean and chicken stew in the book Jamie Oliver’s Food Escapes – reading his description about making this in the French countryside sent me straight into the kitchen with a glass of wine and a big soup pot to channel all the country chicken stew vibes. Jamie’s recipe uses the bean soak method which I was unsure about at first, but it really does make the texture of the soup and broth so awesome. According to his notes, you can sub chicken thighs for the whole chicken, but this is a really great (read: easy) gateway into cooking a whole chicken if that’s something that you’re looking to add to your repertoire (not to mention getting some life-changingly delicious broth out of the deal).

Print

Country Chicken Stew

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• Author: Lindsay
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Yield: 6 generous servings

Print Recipe

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Description

A cozy, hearty, humble bowl of this Country Chicken Stew is waiting for you! Chicken, thick-cut bacon, navy beans, veggies, and fresh herbs all simmering in one big pot. It’s a good one, friends! 

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Ingredients

Units

Country Chicken Stew

• 8 ounces (half a pound) dried navy beans
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into very small pieces
• 2 small onions, thinly sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• thyme, bay leaf, and parsley (tie them together for easy removal)
• 1 whole chicken (rub some salt under the skin ahead of time, if you think of it!)
• water to cover
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 large carrots, sliced
• one-third of a head of cabbage, thinly sliced
• lemon or red wine vinegar to finish
• parsley or any other herbs to finish

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Instructions

Video

1. Cover the beans with water and soak for 4-12 hours.
   
2. Heat the bacon, onion, and garlic over medium high heat. Sauté until everything is very soft and flavorful, about 10 minutes.
   
3. Add the beans and herbs to the pot, and place the whole chicken on top of everything. Cover with water. Throw in the salt, put a lid on, and let it simmer for about an hour.
   
4. After an hour, take the chicken out and transfer to a large plate or cutting board to cool. Skim the top of the soup pot for any weird-looking foam. Pull out the herbs. Add carrots and cabbage and let the whole thing keep cooking to get those veggies softened.
   
5. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the chicken meat off and cut / shred into bite-sized pieces. I usually add half of the chicken back to the pot and then save the other half for something else delicious later in the week. Squeeze a little lemon juice in there or hit it with a splash of red wine vinegar to finish. Serve with extra herbs if you want, and definitely get a piece of hot crusty bread slathered with that amazing garlic herb butter ready for some dunking. Oh my goodness, what a beauty. You’ve arrived.
   

Notes

Garlic Herb Butter: Soften a stick of butter. Mix with a clove of grated garlic, herbs, and salt and pepp to taste. Place back in the fridge to hang out until you’re ready for it. Slather on whatever kind of bread you like and dunk away.

• Category: Soup
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: chicken soup, chicken stew, country stew

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! 🌟

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We Can’t Get Enough Chicken Soups! See?

• Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup (it’s classic, it’s cozy, it’s exactly what you need)
• Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup (pasta in soup? hello, beautiful!)
• Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo (you’ll never guess what gives this dairy-free soup its creaminess)

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September Coffee Date

Big sigh.

Hi! Hi. I’ve missed this.

I have been here, there, and everywhere on POY lately – in recipe mode, planning, scheduling, development, etc.

But it’s been so long since I wrote one of these coffee date posts. Do I say that every time? Does it get a little longer between every time? I don’t know. I don’t know. I’m very tired. But I’m really glad to be here and to (finally) be giving a little update on our personal lives.

What I’m drinking – well, at this very actual moment I’m drinking the very last strawberry lemonade Spindrift that was in our office fridge. But in the coffee department, over the last few months I’ve become very habitual with my decaf oatmilk shaken espresso order from Starbucks. I don’t even know how to describe it other than a barely sweet, espresso-based creamy iced drink, but it’s delicious.

Pumpkin spice? Yes or no? I am pretty medium on it this year. Maybe this means I’m growing up or something? If you love pumpkin spice, get after it. We need all the little joys we can get!

Grab your coffee or your Spindrift – there’s a lot to catch up on. ♡

Our Hard Thing

Alright, this is the big one.

Like so many others, our family is currently facing a hard thing.

A few weeks ago, through a random series of events, we learned that Solvi’s heart isn’t working normally.

We went for what we thought would be a reassuring appointment with cardiology where they say, “thanks for coming to get this checked out, but everything is fine!”, but instead we came out with an out-of-the-blue serious diagnosis and instructions for scheduling a minimally invasive heart surgery to implant a small metal device that would correct her heart.

This week at her pre-op, we got some more unexpected news: our surgeon estimated that, for her heart issue specifically, there may be only a 60-75% chance that this minimally invasive procedure will correct the issue. And if it does not correct the issue, she’ll need to have open heart surgery.

I feel so connected to the community here, and I know so many of you who read Pinch of Yum and leave comments and stop us at the bagel store to say hi – you are wonderful, deep, real people. You allow us – Bjork, me, Pinch of Yum – into your lives and your kitchens and that is such a huge, incredible honor. And that is why in the work we do, I feel best when I can be a whole person, not just a recipe person. A whole person who has good times, and a whole person who has scary heart surgery times.

And, frankly, this week is scary heart surgery time.

I make breakfast, I show up at work, I talk about normal things, I put the girls to bed… but also, I am constantly aware of what is just days ahead on the calendar and the lifelong ramifications it will have one way or the other.

Thank you so much for your support, love, and especially your prayers this impending procedure and for our little girl’s heart. These are some really anxious times for us.

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The Soup Series

On a so much lighter note, the soup series is coming up and I’ve been ready for it since the day I was born.

Half of my camera roll is photos of soup like this – this showstopper is a tomato-based Mexican-style soup with some corn fritters and excessive cheese and crema toppings and let me just say, it is worth watching for.

More info about the soup series here!

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The Summer Of CSA

Overall, this was really not a great summer for us.

But one of the ways this summer was FUN and HAPPY and FRESH was that we did a CSA for the first time! You pay at the beginning of the summer for a whole summer’s worth of fresh, locally grown produce boxed up straight from the farm. We have a weekly pickup point that we drive to (it’s a standing Bjork-Solvi date) and then we bring the box home and have just the best time unboxing it and seeing “what we got from the farm” this week.

The most unplanned, unexpected benefit has been seeing Solvi get so excited about vegetables. It’s like unwrapping a giant present of vegetables every week, and she now knows most of the names of the veggies, and knows which ones she likes (the tiny tomatoes, the pea pods, the cucumbers, the green beans), and gets excited to make recipes with the produce (zucchini muffins x100). Next year we’ll try to actually take her to the farm for a field trip so she can see where everything is grown.

Have you done a CSA? Heard of it? This was only our first year but I would highly recommend looking into it if you love vegetables, have little kids who might enjoy the process, or want to buy more locally grown produce!

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On Parenting

While there are so many joys about being a parent to two littles (exhibit A in the photo above! omg!!), I wouldn’t say this is a season of thriving for us, that’s for sure. 😂

In this chapter of my life, most days feel like a blur of toddler baby work home baby toddler repeat.

Most nights, after the girls FINALLY go to sleep and the kitchen finally gets cleaned up and I settle in for my 30 minutes of free time, the general mood in the house is this:

(Thanks, Bjork, for always capturing me at my best!)

It’s hard to explain how much I love and struggle with this season all at the same time, but I know I don’t really need to explain it because a lot of you just understand.

I’m just drinking deep from the experiences and joys of having a three year old and an almost one year old. Every single day I’m laughing at their antics and nibbling their cheeks and loving their little selves so much it hurts. Lena gave me a floppy wave on the way out the door this morning, and Solvi kissed me three times and insisted that I bring her toy dustpan to work so I could “give dad a reminder to clean up at the office.” I mean, this is it. This is the good stuff. I just want time to stand still so they can be this squishy forever.

And at the same time, I’m feeling stretched very, very thin. I’m tired. I’m struggling to find the right work-life balance (always). And I’m looking forward to a day – maybe? someday? – when I can get a full night of sleep.

(A pause to talk about sleep which seems to be always a thing! Yes, we did do sleep training for Solvi and she has always been a great sleeper until this summer. We are full blown toddler sleep struggle bus these days. And we did sleep training for Lena as well – we even worked with a sleep consultant, lol – and she just has never quite gotten it, maybe due to reflux issues or maybe just because BABIES ARE BABIES. I don’t know. She’s slept through the night maybe 10 times in her whole life. If you’re looking for a good way to be humbled and aged at the same time, might I recommend kids!)

Bjork and I always come back to this mantra or idea that this season is definitely hard, but it’s simple hard. There’s no lack of love. There’s cuteness and goodness and pure joy everywhere… it just comes with a price tag of never having a clean house, always feeling behind, and all-around total exhaustion.

Anyone out there feeling this? Maybe you stepped away for a second coffee?

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We Now Own A Double Jogger

And it is life changing.

We have built up a fleet of several strollers in the last few years:

• Uppababy
• BOB Jogger (single)
• And most recently, a Thule jogger (double)

And I have to tell you – if I could only pick one of all these three, it would be the new Thule double jogger. It’s super smooth, light, and comfortable for both of them. We are LOVING it.

I found this one on Facebook Marketplace, and even with a little bit of wear and tear on it, it is just such a dream. It’s the only way I can stand a chance at exercising right now because I can make it into a whole activity for the girls. And by exercises I mean a 20 minute walk/run maybe twice per week! Starting small!

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And Then There’s Bjork

Bjork is, even in a sleep deprived state, just generally funny, clever, and kind. Why are some people just good?

Here is a photo of him drinking an NA beer on a date with me because he stopped drinking alcohol and eating sugar? I don’t know. We now have boxes of keto cereal in our pantry and carrot juice and Diet 7UP in our fridge. I obviously don’t support this but he can’t be stopped.

I think he is just as tired as I am because he is Lena’s Night Parent and is often the one to get up with her in the middle of the night (she doesn’t usually nurse at night, just wakes for a paci or a snuggle or who really knows why). I take Solvi’s wake ups, he takes Lena’s wake ups, and in the midst of all that is crazy and hard right now, I am so thankful for such a true partner.

We’ve been able to go on a few dates over the summer which usually feels like an entire vacation packed into 4 hours. It’s usually enough time for us to talk about work and kids, get into a little fight, recover from a little fight, and enjoy dinner, dessert, and a walk. It’s great. God bless date night.

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Thank you so much for checking in. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers for Solvi. Thank you for sharing this space with us in ways that are real and genuine.

Sending all the love in the world through my computer screen to you! May you find a moment of peace in whatever good or hard things you’re facing today. ♡ xo

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