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During the chillier months, comfort often comes in a bowl; there’s nothing quite like a steaming soup or stew to satiate the belly and warm the body with each spoonful. When we’re really looking to put a pot of something hearty on the table, we turn to lentils. From fall-apart red and yellow lentils to tender green, brown, and black lentils that retain their shape when cooked, lentils contribute earthy flavor and creamy texture to a variety of slurp-worthy dishes. They add so much rib-sticking goodness that they can stand alone as the protein source in vegetarian options like Tadka Dal with Roti, or pair up with sausage, ham, or even shrimp dumplings for an especially satisfying bowl. Read on for all of our favorite soups and stews featuring lentils.
French Lentil and Vegetable Soup
Ina Garten’s hearty soup gets its robust flavor from small, green French lentils (aka Le Puy lentils), which are less starchy than common brown lentils. A tablespoon of fresh thyme adds a gentle, herbaceous undercurrent, while the acidity from red wine vinegar and tomato paste contributes a stealthy brightness.
Lentil and Bean Stew with Gremolata
Loaded with legumes and aromatics, this is the kind of stick-to-your-ribs stew we long for in the cold winter months. We prefer French green lentils here, though brown will also work; use any combination of cooked beans for this recipe — you’ll need six cups total, or about four cans.
Smoked Ham Hock and Lentil Soup
When the weather starts to cool, 2017 F&W Best New Chef Nina Compton knows it’s time for this soothing, hock-stocked soup, rich with okra and laden with lentils. Ginger and lemongrass bring an aromatic note of Compton’s childhood in St. Lucia, while local okra beckons her back to her now-chosen home in New Orleans.
Ratatouille Lentil Soup
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
Inspired by the popular Provençal dish ratatouille, this bold and bright vegetable soup is perfect for making ahead and stashing in the freezer. Lentils are combined with zucchini, eggplant, red peppers, and tomatoes for a cozy, colorful soup with a creamy, satisfying texture.
Tadka Dal with Roti
For a warming, nourishing, grounding meal, look no further than this fragrant dal, which can be prepared as a slurpable soup or a thick stew. Briefly heating spices and dried chiles in oil or ghee allows their flavors to bloom, creating a flavorful tadka that serves as the backbone of this dish. It also adds a crispy, spicy finish to the creamy mixture of mung beans, lentils, and pigeon peas.
Egyptian Red Lentil Soup
Served with yogurt, lemon wedges, and warm pita, this vividly hued lentil soup is an Egyptian mainstay. It’s warmly spiced with cumin, coriander, and ancho chile powder.
Burmese Samusa Soup
Desmond Tan’s plant-based soup features a broth that’s seasoned with black mustard seeds, cumin, and turmeric. Fresh cabbage, herbs, and chiles top each ample bowl, contrasting tender yellow lentils and potatoes with a pleasing crunch. Don’t forget all the fixings — chopped fresh mint, thinly sliced cabbage, fresh cilantro leaves, thinly sliced red Thai chiles, and lime wedges contribute color, texture, and flavor.
Eggplant and Lentil Stew with Pomegranate Molasses
To keep the textures and flavors of the vegetables distinct, the eggplant gets layered in a pot with tomatoes, lentils, chopped onions, and garlic, then slowly cooked without stirring. The stew is best when made ahead and allowed to mellow for at least a few hours — serve it hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Chickpea and Lentil Soup
Our vegetarian version of the Moroccan soup harira comes together in a fraction of the time it takes to make the traditional lamb recipe. It’s brightened with a finishing squeeze of lemon and garnished with sweet chopped dates for true Moroccan flair.
Black Lentil Soup
Rajat Parr first cooks black lentils with cardamom and ginger for this earthy soup; to finish, he whisks in a couple tablespoons of butter just before serving for unexpected richness.
Tortilla Soup with Lentils
Made with both lentils and pork sausage, Molly Yeh’s hearty take on tortilla soup is perfect for a cold winter day. The garnishes make for an especially bright, lively bowl: diced avocado, sour cream, fresh cilantro, and shredded Monterey Jack or crumbled queso fresco.
Spicy Red Lentil Coconut Soup with Shrimp Dumplings
Tangy, fragrant coconut soup is bolstered with red lentils and hearty shrimp dumplings laced with cilantro and mint; a touch of lime juice heightens the flavors in each bowl.
Lentil and Garlic Sausage Soup
Taking inspiration from the traditional Italian cotechino pork sausage that’s typically served over creamy lentils, chef Tom Fundaro’s recipe skews pan-European; to make it, you’ll need French lentils, Manchego cheese, and any really good garlic sausage.
Red Lentil, Miso, and Shiitake Mushroom Soup
Miso soup gets an upgrade with the addition of robust red lentils; meaty shiitake mushrooms contribute even more umami goodness. A garnish of sliced scallions provides a little pop of color to each bowl.
Lentil Soup with Smoked Turkey
Eugenia Bone’s smoked turkey soup recipe pairs green or brown lentils with smoked turkey meat for a rich, savory bowl. Simmering the broth with a Parmesan rind imparts deep umami flavor that’s echoed by the grated cheese garnish.
Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup
Packed with more than a pound of greens, this hearty brown lentil soup leans on garlic, onion, and coarsely chopped cilantro for lots of earthy flavor in each comforting spoonful.
German Lentil Soup
Rinse a pound of brown lentils for this lightened version of a traditional German soup that calls for olive oil instead of lard and swaps in red bell peppers for a portion of the potatoes.
Squash Noodle Soup with Healing Turmeric-Ginger Broth, Roasted Carrots, and Beluga Lentils
Thin ribbons of roasted spaghetti squash stand in for noodles in this cozy vegetarian take on classic chicken soup. Beluga lentils, or black lentils, are at once delicate and robust; their thicker skin prevents them from falling apart in the pot.
Slow Cooker Berbere Chicken and Black Lentil Stew
Set it and forget it: Fresh ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and white wine simmer slowly in your Crock-Pot with the fragrant Ethiopian spice blend berbere in this comforting chicken-lentil stew.
Foie Gras Soup with Lentil Gnocchi and Balsamic Onions
French chef Pierre Gagnaire’s elevated soup features tender gnocchi made with earthy brown lentils, quick-pickled balsamic onion wedges, and foie gras broth perfumed by ruby port.
Umbrian Lentil Stew with Olive Oil-Fried Eggs
Matt Molina uses Umbrian lentils — a small, brownish-green variety grown in Castelluccio — for this special Italian stew. “They have a rich, buttery flavor that’s so comforting,” he says. Molina simmers them slowly until they’re exquisitely creamy.
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