Easy Lentil Spinach Soup
One of the best things about blogging is all of the great connections I’ve made. Connections with people who live on the other side of the world and some who live only a few hours away.
One of them is my friend Nicole from Foodie Loves Fitness. I may not have met her in “real life” but it isn’t hard to tell that she is truly genuine and kind. Besides that, we have so much in common that I feel like we’re kindred spirits…in a non-creepy, non-internet stalker way.
Anyway, I have her to thank for this recipe. I saw it on her blog one day and thought it looked simple and delicious.
Savory vegetable broth with juicy diced tomatoes, fresh sautéed spinach and nutritious little lentils. What’s not to love?
Plus, it’s affordable and oh so easy.
Recipes with the word easy are always nice, aren’t they? I think so.
Especially when you’re trying to fit in 8 hours of work, exercising, dinner with loved ones and cough, 2 hours, cough of The Bachelor.
An easy, healthy recipe is exactly what you need.
Ingredients
1 cup dried brown lentils*
5 cups vegetable broth**
29 ounces diced tomatoes
10 ounces fresh baby spinach
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
salt & pepper to taste
juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat then sauté the onion for several minutes.
- Toss in the spinach and the garlic and sauté until spinach is wilted.
- Add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes with liquid, and lentils to the pot along with dried herbs.
- Stir to combine and bring heat to a boil.
- Once the liquid starts to boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Wait a few minutes then cover with a lid and allow to cook for 30 minutes, until lentils are just tender but not mushy. Remove from heat and squeeze in lemon juice then stir together.
- Divide into bowls and serve warm.
Notes
*I prefer to soak my lentils prior to cooking them as it enhances digestion, reduces cooking time and also the amount of vegetable broth needed. If you prefer to skip this step, have an extra cup or two of vegetable broth on hand in case you need more liquid.
**I always use Better Than Boullion's vegetable base for my vegetable broth because it yields the best flavor. You may need to add more salt if using a less flavorful broth.
Barely Adapted from Foodie Loves Fitness
Mmmm I love lentil soup, and easy recipes are great, especially when your trying to make time for the Bachelor.
The Bachelor is so a priority ;)
Love your bowls/dishes — where are they from?
The bowl in this picture is from Pottery Barn. They torture me with their catalogs. I want all the things!! ;)
The Bachelor’s 2 hour time slot is really a killer and a time suck… I never used to be a fan but Sean Lowe’s season sucked me in and now whaddaya know, I lost two hours every Monday night :p I love soups that are “souper” easy like this one – esp ones that utilize lentils so they’re budget friendly too.
When I say the words “easy” lentil” and “soup” all in one title then I know it is going to be a recipe for me! This definitely looks like a GOOD one!
Love this recipe (and lentils in general)! Thomas would even eat this. I love soups, even if I do live in a warm climate. This one is perfect, especially for lunches!
Man, I wish I had American channels. Miss my 2-hour Bachelor sessions!!!
I love Nicole! If you guys ever meet up, I’ll make it my priority to go to the west coast! :)
Um YES, that would be amazing!
Love lentils – they’re so filling! And in soup form? Definitely can’t go wrong ;-)
With how insanely cold its been lately in my neck of the woods, this soup would be a perfect way to warm me up!
And you are right…blogging definitely has connected me with some great people too! I think that’s why I love it so much!
I just love the texture of lentils in soups like this! And lentils + spinach is always such a great combo. This looks like a winner, and so perfect for the cold weather that a lot of the country (although I know not the Bay Area!) is experiencing!
The Bachelor takes up wayyy too much time. I am so addicted but every time I watch it I’m like, welp, there’s 2 hours of my life I’ll never get back! Good thing there are easy soups like this for the busy times in life… and the times when I have to have my butt nailed to the couch to watch trashy reality TV :)
I feel like I’ve been seeing lentils popping up everywhere lately, which is probably a sign that I need them back in my life. I love ’em, but they tend to be one of those foods I forget about.
Hope you’re doing well, lovely lady! Try not to stress yourself out too much <3
easy is key now a days!
I just made lentil chili and it was so yummy! This recipe looks great!
What a sweet post dedicated to a fellow Bay Area blogger! Don’t worry about blogging either – life gets busy and we will all be here when you have more time to post or when The Bachelor is over ;)
I LOVE all the blogging connections I’ve made. And the funny part is I literally NEVER thought that would be what I got from this crazy internet thing. But I follow that beauty on IG and didn’t realize there was a blog with her so I’m checking her out next! And easy soups are the best – and that seems super flavorful too! :) So adorable. And girl, your posting is coming along swimmingly! Everyone has their ups and downs and busy times, get after it while you can! Even if you didn’t post new content, I’d likely still come here and stalk all your older posts because I love your pictures (and you!) so much! :)
You’re so sweet! Thanks girl! <3
Sarah, this post is so sweet and I feel exactly the same way! We have like a million things in common and definitely need to meet up once that little life event called your wedding happens and your life isn’t so hectic. ;-)
I usually DVR my shows so I can skip over all the fluffy they pack in. Gives me a few very needed extra minutes in the day. This soup looks delicious.
I completely agree- the DVR is a must!
Another lentil recipe I want to make! I was lamenting the fact that I haven’t had lentils in forever, yet I see yummy looking recipes with them popping up everywhere. I think a big pot of soup is exactly what I need right now! Bachelor’s a necessity, no matter how much you work!
Mmmmmm … I always love lentil soup, and this is just such a wonderful, easy recipe for it! Looks fantastic! Pinning for sure!!! :D
Be prepared for me to infiltrate your’s and nicole’s friendship once I move to the Bay Area! I’ve been fiending lentil soup too. Does that make us all kindred spirits?
Yes, we are all kindred spirits!! ;)
Spinach & lentils are fantastic together. Yummy
Oh this looks so good! I have been alllll about lentils lately haha I’ve been using them so often and am constantly looking for new recipes to try! The simple factor is an added bonus : ) I hope you get some time to relax soon!
Sarah, this is exactly my type of food, the way I eat when I can’t spend too much time in the kitchen but I have still energy to avoid all the carbs I get from my quickest meal, pasta. Love your pics :)
Hands down, my favorite part about blogging is the community aspect. I love making connections with folks from across the nation! This soup is perfect! Simple, delicious and healthy! I hope work slows down for you. In the meantime, enjoy the delicious soup and Bachelor episodes!
This looks perfect for a cold, winter day!
Why on earth to they insist on making The Bachelor 2 hours? Who has time for that? Darn you, Juan Pablo!
What a lovely and simple soup. I love anything with lentils and this soup is no exception. I hope you get to relax a bit in the near future :)
I love this kind of soup simple, tasty and hearty. Similar to what my Hungarian aunt made for us every now and then. I’ll have to ask her for her recipes. haha. Looks yummy. I’ll add this to the rotation of soups at home :)
Sarah, that lentil soup looks delicious! MUST.MAKE.THIS!
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I just made this last nite. It tastiest wonderful. I did change it up a bit by adding carrots and celery and onion and garlic powder to the soup. My husband just loved it. He wants me to make it again. Thanks for this easy but delicious recipe.
I bet it’s even better with the extras added in! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out. :)
This soup looks perfect for the cold weather where we are! Just stumbled across your site… Recipes look delicious (hello quinoa cake!) and aren’t you two cute! Congrats on the upcoming wedding bells.
Aw, thanks Gretchen! :)
Loved this soup. So very easy to make. I only used 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 6oz. of baby spinach. (That was what I had on hand) If you are counting for Weight Watchers, each serving is 1.5 points if you divide the recipe into 6 servings. If you divide the recipe into 4 servings, each serving would be 2.25 points. Very low points packed with lots of protein and flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
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This soup looks so warm and cozy. How long do you soak the lentils for?
I usually soak them overnight so around 8 hours. But that step isn’t necessary if you don’t have time. I just do it because it’s supposed to help make them easier to digest.
I made this soup and and it was very good!
Looks delish! But I’m plant based & counting macros for leaning out! Do you have nutrition info on your recipes?
That would be awesome!
Hi Celeste! I’ve started calculating nutrition facts on my more recent recipes but haven’t had a chance to update the older ones yet.
You can copy and paste the ingredients into this calculator: http://www.caloriecount.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php and it will give them to you. I hope that helps!
Oh yes,yes,yes!!! Beans and spinach – two 0n the list of “very favorites”. Thank you for this recipe. It’s on tonight’s table!
So glad to hear that, Audrey! Thank you! :)
Soooo good, I’m making it for the second time this week.
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks Evelina! :)
I make this almost every sunday. Really great soup and my whole family loves it.
I’m so happy to hear that, Bridy! Thank you for the review.
Made this recipe without the oil as I am whole food plant based sos (salt,oil and sugar)free. My friend was the taste tester and she gave it a thumbs up!