Vegan Lentil Soup with Kale

This hearty vegan lentil soup with kale is full of nutrients such as fiber and protein and also has a little spicy kick. Just the perfect comfort bowl that’s also super healthy.

If you have been following my blog for a while, you know that I am not a vegan but rather someone who eats mostly vegetarian/pescatarian food, with the occasional addition of meat.

While people are doing meatless Mondays, I’m basically doing the opposite, as I only have meat a couple of times a month. 

As of late, I found myself testing vegan recipes more often and I really enjoy both cooking and eating them.

This vegan lentil soup with kale is an adaptation of a recipe I was obsessed with a couple of years ago when I used to make it with chicken. 

It turns out it doesn’t need anything else than the power of veggies and the right amount of spiciness to be the best lentil soup I have had in my life. 

This kale and lentil soup is nutritious, super easy to make, and very satisfying. Serve it with crusty bread or crackers and you have a tasty lunch or even a light dinner that will leave you full and happy. 

What do you need to make this lentil soup?

This is a pretty versatile soup in the sense that you can add or remove some of the veggies to suit your taste and match what you have in the fridge. 

To make it, you need the following:

• Green lentils — I like all kinds of lentils, but I choose to use green ones for this recipe. I made it with brown lentils and it was great, but green lentils hold their shape well in soups, and I like a bit of a bite. Puy lentils are perfect for this recipe if you like the lentils to really keep their shape. Just ½ cup of dried green lentils contains 10g of fiber, 24g protein, and 80mg calcium, so talk about a nutritional soup.
• Onion — brown onions are best here, you'll need two medium ones, peeled and diced
• Garlic cloves — 3 or 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• Celery — two or three celery stalks, diced
• Carrots — two medium carrots peeled and diced
• Olive oil
• Cavolo Nero kale — this is a kale variety known as Tuscan kale or black kale. It has thicker leaves than curly kale, with a texture very similar to that of Savoy cabbage. You can use regular kale as well.
• Diced tomatoes
• Cumin powder
• Curry powder — depending on how much of a kick you want this lentil soup to have, choose between medium and hot curry powder. I prefer to go with medium curry.
• Red chili flakes
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• Bay leaves
• Vegetable stock — make sure it's the vegan kind
• Juice of half a lemon

How do you make this lentil soup with kale recipe?

To make the lentil soup, saute the onion, garlic, celery and carrot in olive oil over low to medium heat for 10 minutes until soft. Stir occasionally. 

Next, add all the spices and cook for another minute. Add all the other ingredients except for lemon juice, and stir well.

Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 35-40 minutes until the lentils are soft. 

Finish with the lemon juice and serve hot with crusty bread.

How long does the soup keep in the fridge?

This lentil soup with kale will keep for 4 to 5 days in the fridge, which makes it great for meal prep. You can reheat it on the stove or in a microwave. If you go the microwave way, it takes about 2-3 minutes at 800W to heat a serving. 

Can you freeze lentil soup?

Yes, this is a soup that freezes extremely well. Make sure the lentil soup has cooled off completely. Next, chill it in the fridge for about 30 minutes, before adding portions in small containers (or resealable bags, but I prefer containers because they make it so much easier to defrost and reheat the soup). The soup will keep in the freezer for up to one month. 

Can you use canned cooked lentils?

You can use canned cooked lentils in a pinch, but you're going to have to adjust cooking times to avoid them turning into mush. If you use cooked lentils, cut the cooking time in half.

If you liked this kale and lentil soup recipe, check out some of my other vegan recipes:

• Vegan Sausage Pasta With Kale
• Vegan Tagliatelle Bolognese with Mushrooms
• Super Easy Gigantes Plaki (Greek Baked Beans)

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