Lentil Rice Soup
This Lentil Rice Soup is hearty and flavorful and sure to warm your belly and your soul. It's made with simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your pantry and fridge. A family favorite!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 336kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 3 ribs celery diced
- 3 carrots peeled and diced
- 1 cup dried green lentils picked over and rinsed well
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or gluten-free tamari
- 8 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- juice of 1 lemon to taste
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat on the stove. Sauté the diced onion for 5 to 6 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic, dried thyme and black pepper and sauté 1 minute. Add the celery and carrots and cook another 5 minutes so they start to soften.
- Add the lentils, rice, tomatoes, coconut aminos and broth. Stir well. Bring to a boil, stir again, cover, reduce heat and simmer 25 to 30 minutes until the lentils and rice are tender, but not mushy.
- Add the salt, fresh lemon juice, and chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Notes
~ Pick over the lentils and remove any small pebbles or rocks.
~ Rinse the lentils well in a fine mesh strainer under cold water to remove any dust and debris.
~ Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer under cold water to remove any dust and debris and also remove some of the starchiness so it doesn't clump or get mushy when cooking.
~ Choose a variety of rice that cooks in about 20 to 30 minutes. I like jasmine rice, basmati rice, or quick-cooking (NOT Minute or Instant rice) brown rice.
~ Wait to add the salt and lemon juice until after the lentils have gotten tender. Salt and acidic ingredients can hinder the proper cooking of lentils.
~ This recipe makes a large pot of soup, about 10 cups once cooked. You can halve the recipe if you like, but leftovers keep really well and you can even freeze it.
~ For an oil-free option, use broth or water to sauté instead of oil.
~ The soup will thicken as it sits. You may need to add additional vegetable broth or water upon reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 6g | Sodium: 713mg | Potassium: 996mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 11g