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It’s winter, which means there is often a pot of soup cooking away on my stove top. Meaty, vegetarian, vegan. We love them all. I like to make a double batch and freeze half for a night when I’m too busy to cook.
I’ve tried red lentil soup many different ways but I didn’t fall for it until I added sweet smoke Spanish paprika. The flavor adds the perfect amount of depth.
I haven’t been able to find sweet smoked Spanish paprika at your run-of-the-mill grocery stores. Instead, I’ve found it in specialty stores with a bulk spice section. I also picked up some hot smoked Spanish paprika with is just as divine. If you happen to see both, pick them up.
If you happen to live in an area that doesn’t have specialty stores, or you’d rather have it delivered to your door, Amazon has a slew of different brands of paprika.
Let’s talk about red lentils….they aren’t really red. And once they’re cooked they’re more of a yellow-green color. Don’t let that stop you from adding them to your pantry.
Lentils are simple to cook as they don’t require soaking. And, they’re a good source of fiber, iron, and have been shown to help stabilize blood sugar levels.
And the kale, well, aren’t most things better with greens? I try to sneak them in whenever I can. For this soup, I just chopped it up in small pieces and stirred it in at the end. It’s a great green to use in soups because it holds it’s texture and color so well.
What soups have you been cooking up?
A fiber-rich, quick cooking legume soup full of rich, smoky flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 - 4 stalks of celery, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, grated on a microplane
- 1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 - 4 cups filtered water
- 6 - 8 kale leaves, thick ribs removed and chopped in small pieces
- 3/4 teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprkia
- sea salt
Instructions
- Heat a large stock pot over medium-low heat. Add onions and sweat in a little vegetable stock. Once the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes, add the celery and onions and continue to sweat for a few minutes. Add the garlic and stir, cooking for a minute until fragrant.
- Add the rinsed lentils, and the vegetable stock and two cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the lentils are tender, 25 - 35 minutes. Add the additional 2 cups of water if desired.
- Stir in the kale and paprika. Cook for several minutes until the kale is tender.
- Season with salt to taste.
- Serve warm.
Jenn
posted on January 16, 2013 at 12:20 pm
Well how perfect, I was just staring at some red lentils in my pantry and wondering what kind of soup to make! And I adore Kale (no really, I eat it almost daily, so good for you!). Thanks so much, you’re blog is wonderful
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Amy Reply:
January 27th, 2013 at 11:15 am
@Jenn, Have fun! And thank you for the sweet compliment, Jenn. Hope to hear from you again soon.
Hugs!
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Laurel
posted on January 16, 2013 at 12:52 pm
Me too. Were you reading my mind? I’ve had this bag of red lentils for a long time (and I hope they are still good). And I’ve got some small bags of kale from the garden that I froze last summer so one bag will probably be perfect for this recipe. Thanks!
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Amy Reply:
January 27th, 2013 at 11:14 am
@Laurel, I don’t think lentils go bad…maybe in 8 or 10 years?? But dry beans last forever.
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Christianne
posted on January 16, 2013 at 2:07 pm
Looks like another winner Amy!
I am off of beans until the end of the month but I will be making this one soon after. It will go beautifully with my Kale. This year I added Red Russian Kale to my garden.
I am curious as to the difference between the 2 paprika’s. I will do some googling to see what I can find. I have neither.
Thanks so much, this looks like it will be a go to soup for me!
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Amy Reply:
January 27th, 2013 at 11:14 am
@Christianne, I am still jealous of your garden. Someday I’ll have one! Until then, I’ll have to just drag my kale home from the store.
Enjoy the paprika. YUM!!!
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InTolerant Chef
posted on January 16, 2013 at 5:05 pm
I love red lentils so much, and this looks delicious! It will go on my to-do list for the cooler weather
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Amy Reply:
January 27th, 2013 at 11:13 am
@InTolerant Chef, I guess it’s not cold in your neck of the woods? Dallas has been in the 40′s and 50′s. Not my cup of tea.
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Karen Neff
posted on January 16, 2013 at 6:43 pm
Amy, I greatly appreciate how clearly your recipes are written and how easy it is to print them, not to mention how delicious they are too. Thank you for making my G-F life a little easier.
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Amy Reply:
January 27th, 2013 at 11:12 am
@Karen Neff, You’re welcome, Karen! I was actually wondering today if I need to be more clear in my recipes. I appreciate the feedback.
Hugs!
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Marya@parttimehealthnut.com
posted on January 16, 2013 at 7:15 pm
I’m with you, I love soup this time of year. This looks great. It satisfies my desire for kale and my new love for lentils. And I lurve smokey paprika. I’m pinning this guy and sharing on Facebook. Yum.
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Amy Reply:
January 27th, 2013 at 11:12 am
@Marya@parttimehealthnut.com, Thanks for sharing my recipe, Marya! Sneaking greens in whenever I can is one of my favorite tricks.
Hugs!
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Jen
posted on January 17, 2013 at 4:04 pm
I’m so excited to try this recipe! My mouth is watering as I type this…seriously! I used to make a lentil soup with regular lentils but haven’t made it in years. My son loved it and just asked me if I was going to make lentil soup sometime again. I’m going to make this one instead! Sounds packed with nutrition and flavor too. I’m a huge fan of smoked paprika. I put it in everything from rubs to BBQ sauce. Love the smoky flavor it imparts.
Thanks again for another winning recipe-
Jen
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Amy Reply:
January 27th, 2013 at 11:11 am
@Jen, We love lentils of all kinds. I use Puy lentils when I’m making a fish or chicken dish because they don’t break down like other lentils. Glad the smoked paprika is a hit at your house too.
Hugs,
Amy
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Alta
posted on January 18, 2013 at 10:10 am
This looks so comforting!
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Carol
posted on January 18, 2013 at 1:32 pm
Looks great, I love lentils, kale and smoked paprika! I love the hot kind.
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Amy Reply:
January 27th, 2013 at 11:06 am
@Carol, I have the hot kind, too, but I’m not tolerating it right now. Joe loves to use it in his cheese dip. Yum.
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marcia
posted on January 18, 2013 at 2:58 pm
This looks great Amy! I have been making a new soup every other night it seems. The smoked spanish paprika has become a favorite in my house. (thanks to you!) This will be my next soup.
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Amy Reply:
January 27th, 2013 at 11:05 am
@marcia, I’ve been making tons of soup, too. Mostly double batches and freezing half for busy nights.
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Maggie
posted on January 18, 2013 at 3:38 pm
Looks delish! Pinning for future comfort
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Amy Reply:
January 27th, 2013 at 11:04 am
@Maggie, Thanks!!
xo
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Hallie @ Daily Bites
posted on January 18, 2013 at 4:42 pm
Love red lentils! A lot of people who can’t tolerate beans/legumes well tell me that they do fine with red lentils for some reason. Maybe it’s because they break down more in cooking…don’t know, but I’m a big fan!
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Amy Reply:
January 27th, 2013 at 11:04 am
@Hallie @ Daily Bites, I think people forget that lentils exist. You’re right, they’re not the common bean. I am a fan too.
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Nancy
posted on January 19, 2013 at 7:32 pm
So happy that I’ve “found” you Amy…your story, your inspiration, your recipes are helping me so much…thankyou
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Amy Reply:
January 27th, 2013 at 10:58 am
@Nancy, Thank you, Nancy! It warms my heart to know that my blog is helpful to you.
Hugs,
Amy
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Kathy
posted on January 20, 2013 at 4:30 pm
I made this today and it turned out perfectly, I did not have any more Paprika so I used three bay leaves and the Table and Oridginal flavores of Mrs. Dash and some pink and green pepper corns… turned out wonderful, thank you for simple and easy and tastey recipes. I appreciate your blog so very much .
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Amy Reply:
January 27th, 2013 at 10:57 am
@Kathy, Don’t bay leaves add the most scrumptious flavor? I’ve been using them in a veg soup we’ve been devouring. Best veg soup ever!
Thank your for the sweet compliment. I’m grateful my blog is helpful to you, Kathy.
Hugs,
Amy
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Mary McC
posted on January 21, 2013 at 11:48 am
This sounds perfect for today, when we’re having lake effect snow here in W Mich. BTW – the solution for hard-to-find spices is Penzeys.com!
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Amy Reply:
January 27th, 2013 at 10:54 am
@Mary McC, I have a girlfriend who swears by Penzeys. I’ve never ordered from them – I think they even have a store in Dallas. Glad to hear you like them too.
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