Once Fall hits, soup season is back. White bean lentil soup is perfect to stock your freezer with once the seasons start changing!
Looking for more hearty classic soups? Try our Curry Chicken and Rice Soup, Italian Wedding Soup, or Broccoli Rabe and Tortellini Soup.
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Why You Need Lentil Soup
Lentil soup is an Italian classic and is something to have in the fridge and freezer all winter long. I love to have it with dinner or lunch. It's a great addition to the meal, but it's also a great stand-alone soup because the lentils and beans have enough protein to fill you up. If you're looking for more of a side dish, go for Classic Italian Lentils.
What I love about this recipe is that I can store some in my fridge to have as a snack or a vegetable with dinner and I can keep the rest in the freezer for the following week or as an impromptu dinner whenever I need it!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Parmesan Rind. The rind is something I always save and I add it to all of my soups. It adds an extra depth of flavor and it is so tasty and salty. Remove it before serving.
Broth. I always try to use homemade stock when I make soup but it's not always possible. I did a half-and-half situation when I made this dish. If you have a rotisserie chicken on hand occasionally, it's so easy to make a broth.
Lentils. I like to use whole lentils instead of split. It takes a little longer to cook but they don't get as mushy when you serve them.
Lemon. Adding the lemon at the end makes this dish. This is a mandatory item and will add so much flavor to the soup.
Beans. I used white northern beans because they are soft but you could substitute cannellini beans or kidney beans.
Step-by-Step Directions
Lentil soup is an easy way to start learning to make soup, or cook in general, because soups can be very forgiving. The first part of lentil soup and a lot of soups is the soffritto.
Step 1: Saute the soffritto (celery, onions, carrots) on medium heat for 8-10 minutes and then add some garlic and stir for one more minute.
Step 2: The base of the white bean and lentil soup is a combination of the soffritto with tomato paste. Once the garlic is added, add a layer of tomato paste to the pot and caramelize it.
Step 3: Stir it in thoroughly with the vegetables and caramelize for 3 minutes. Caramelizing means you should see the tomato paste slightly sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Step 4: Stir in the broth, the lentils, basil, parsley, and 2 bay leaves. Bring it to a boil and then lower it down to a simmer immediately. Stir in the parmesan rind and dried thyme. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 5: After the soup has simmered for 20 minutes, use an immersion blender to blend the soup for about 5 -7 seconds. Some of the lentils should still remain intact but this helps improve the texture of the soup.
Step 6: After blending, add in the zucchini, beans, water, and salt. Return the soup to a simmer for 15 more minutes.
Step 7: When the soup is finished simmering, stir in the spinach, lemon zest, and lemon juice. The lemon in the lentil soup gives it a bright finish. It is the perfect addition.
Step 8: Garnish the soup with fresh chopped parsley and more parmesan. Serve with a sandwich or on the side of dinner. Or just enjoy a great big bowl of this warm and savory soup.
Pro Tips
- Blend the lentils after simmering for 20 minutes. This will split some of the lentils so that the soup is a little creamier. Some of the lentils will remain intact while others will melt into the soup.
- Adding the lemon at the end of the cooking process will brighten up the flavor and add more depth to the dish. Adding it too early in the cooking process will result in it being overpowered by the rest of the dish.
- I like to season with salt and pepper throughout the whole cooking process and then add the remaining seasonings once I add the broth.
Recipe FAQs
Lentil soup is a nutritious meal with plenty of vegetables, carbohydrates, and proteins. It is a well-balanced and flavorful meal.
It lasts for up to 6 months in the freezer and 3-4 days in the fridge.
Soffritto, is an Italian mirepoix. It is the slow sauteing of onions, garlic, and celery as a base for the soup. By slowly sauteing these vegetables in olive oil, the flavor of the olive oil and the vegetables starts developing into this wonderful, aromatic, combination.
What to serve with lentil soup!
- Lentil soup goes great on the side of some of our chicken dishes like the PERFECT Cast Iron Chicken Breast, Restaurant-Style Chicken Saltimbocca, or Crispy Italian Chicken Cutlets.
- I love soup and fish together! try it with our Pistachio Crusted Fish, Pan-Seared Vermillion Snapper, or Lemon Garlic Broiled Flounder.
- If you're looking to serve a few appetizers it would go great with Air Fryer Garlic Parm Wings, Baked Italian Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, orEASY Ricotta Bruschetta
- Don't forget about dessert! Serve some Rainbow Cookie Cake or Chewy White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies after dinner!
Storage and Reheating
Lentil soup should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
You can extend the time in the fridge to 5-7 days by using this really easy trick. Fill your sink with ice and water. Drop the whole pot in the ice water and stir the soup until it gets cold. Then store in the fridge immediately.
This will bring the temperature of your soup down quickly to avoid a long slow cool down, which can allow for bacteria to start to grow in the food. This is how restaurants and caterers cool food quickly so that it lasts longer.
We always store some of this recipe in the freezer for a later date. Lentil soup will last in the freezer for 6 months.
Reheat the soup by placing it back in a pot on medium heat until warmed through to 165 degrees.
Video Instructions
Our Favorite Soup Recipes
Please leave a comment and star rating below in the recipe card! I love to hear what you think of our recipes. Feel free to tag us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.
📖 Recipe
White Bean and Lentil Soup
Equipment
- 1 Large Dutch Oven or Pot
Ingredients
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 2 cups lentils
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 parmesan rind
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- 4 basil leaves
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 1 14 oz can white northern beans
- ½ bag spinach
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- chopped parsley for garnish
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, bring olive oil to medium heat. To start the soffrito, stir in carrots, onions, and celery and saute for 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft and onions are translucent. Add garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes until garlic becomes fragrant. Finally, add tomato paste and stir until homogenous with the vegetables and the tomato paste starts to carmelize at the bottom of the pan.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and add lentils, dried thyme, dried parsley, parmesan rind, and bay leaves. Raise the heat to high heat and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 20 minutes, use an immersion blender to blend the soup for 5 seconds. Then stir in zucchini, beans, water, and salt. Return the soup to a simmer, and continue occasionally stirring for 15 more minutes.
- Add in basil and spinach and stir until wilted. Zest in the zest from the entire lemon and then squeeze in all of the juice. Adjust the consistency of the soup by adding more water if necessary. Serve with parsley as a garnish.
Notes
- The parmesan rind is such a great addition of flavor. It's not a necessity for the outcome of the soup but it is a great addition.
- Blending the soup for a few seconds with an immersion blender will make the soup slightly creamier by breaking up some of the lentils.
- Adding the lemon at the end of the cooking process will brighten up the flavor and adds so much to the soup.
Judy S
This looks like a perfect combo for me because I was craving both lentil soup & pasta fagioli (more for the cannellini beans than the pasta). I want to make this today since BUT, you list a 1/2 bag of spinach as an ingredient but - you didn't list how many ounces that is, so I don't know if you're talking an 5, 8 or 12 ounce bag of spinach and I need to get ingredients. HELP!! Thanks so much!
Vinny
6 oz of spinach will work!
Debbie
Going to make this recipe tomorrow…do you rinse the white beans?
Vinny
I drain and rinse them.
Elaine Lawrenson
I just finished making the soup but did not have a Parmesan rind. Can you top it with grated Parmesan at serving time.
Vincent DelGiudice
Yes!
Toni
Delicious!!! Can it be put in the freezer?
Vincent DelGiudice
Yes you can! We do that almost every time we make it!
sdg13
I think this is a great recipe. Delicious and healthy. It’s important to remove the bay leaves and parmesan rind before using the immersion blender. Also, adding some hot red pepper (pepeorincino) and/or black pepper adds dimension.
Patricia
I have many Lentils soup recipe and make lentil soup twice a month always trying a new one. Well, this is a WOW lots of Veggies great taste. Thank You
Nina Yousefian
This soup was very delicious!! I had my own chicken stock and made herbed croutons from ciabatta bread. A very hearty, healthy meal indeed!
Vincent DelGiudice
Homemade chicken stock sounds delicious for this soup!
Susan
Delicious! Will definitely make it again.
Has a tiny bit of a sweet taste probably from the carrots.
Vinny
This is my family's favorite lentil soup recipe. We make it on repeat all Fall and Winter. Enjoy and leave a comment below!
Carol Borgobello
Nice recipe for lentil soup , will try it this fall!