Brown Rice and Lentil Soup

This brown rice and lentil soup is loaded with flavours and packed with protein and fibre. It’s also naturally vegan, super delicious and feels like proper comfort food!

Lentils and rice may sound like an unusual combination, but they’re actually incredibly good together. This brown rice and lentil soup is packed with fiber and protein while being extra flavourful and delicious.

You might expect a rice and lentil soup to have Indian flavours, but this lentil brown rice soup is of Italian inspiration instead.

Its flavours include fresh herbs, garlic and lemon, and it’s so good, your family won’t even guess it’s loaded with wholesome ingredients.

Why you’ll love this rice lentil soup

• It’s super good for you! This brown rice and lentil soup is the perfect comfort food while also being loaded with whole, healthy ingredients.
• It’s very easy to throw together. Even though both brown rice and lentils take a while to cook, you don’t have to babysit this soup. It requires very little hands-on time and uses a handful of staple ingredients that you may already have in your pantry.
• It’s an excellent make ahead meal. The flavours of this lentil and brown rice soup only get better with time, which makes it the perfect meal prep recipe.

What goes into this lentil and brown rice soup?

Olive oil — You only need a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to saute the veggies in, but you can use some veggie stock instead if you don’t cook with oil.

Fresh sage and rosemary — Fresh herbs are what makes this Italian rice and lentil soup extra flavourful. You can also add some thyme and oregano to the mix.

Onion, carrot and celery — The base of the soup is a mirepoix made from small cubes of onion, carrot and celery. Cut them small for this soup so they cook quickly and evenly.

Garlic — Feel free to add as much garlic as you want. I find that two large cloves are enough, but on the other hand, there’s no such thing as too much garlic in a soup, is it?

Red chilli flakes — Only use chili flakes if you want your soup to have a bit of a kick.

Brown rice — I like to make this lentil rice soup with brown rice because it holds better than white rice and has more fibres. You can use long grain rice if you want, but it may be a bit overcooked by the time lentils are done.

Lentils — Both green and brown lentils are great choices for this soup. Don’t use red lentils because they cook too quickly and will be mushy by the time the rice is cooked.

Lemon juice — This is optional, but I highly recommend it because it adds some extra brightness to the soup.

How to make lentil rice soup

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot and add the sage, bay leaves, and fresh rosemary. Cook for a minute on medium heat to allow the flavours to infuse the oil.

Add the onion, carrot and celery stalks and saute them for 4-5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and red chilli flakes and continue to cook for another minute.

Give both the brown rice and lentils a quick rinse under cold running water, and then add them to the pot.

Cover them with the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until the lentil and rice are cooked to your liking.

Stir in the lemon juice, season to taste and serve hot, sprinkled with fresh parsley if you like.

Leftovers and storage

• This rice and lentil soup will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
• The soup will hold well in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
• Reheat the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave until piping hot. The rice will continue to soak up the liquid, so you may need to add some water or vegan stock when reheating.

Recipe notes and tips

• If you’re not vegan, you can sprinkle some freshly grated Parmesan on individual bowls when serving the soup.
• You can add some extra veggies to this rice and lentil soup, including bell peppers or mushrooms.
• The soup is hearty enough to be served on its own, but it also pairs well with some crusty bread.

If you liked this rice and lentil soup, you might also like some of my other easy vegan soup recipes:

• Vegetable Stelline Soup
• Tuscan White Bean and Kale Soup (Ribollita)
• Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
• Coconut Curry Soup with Crispy Tofu
• Easy Barley Soup with Vegetables

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