Lentil soup doesn’t have to be boring! This Lentil Kale Soup is packed with lots of aromatic flavors and loaded with kale and carrots.
This is such a nourishing and hearty soup – it’s perfect for lunch or dinner. I love to serve it with a side of warm toasted sourdough bread!
This lentil kale soup is great for meal prep. It’s very make-ahead and freezer friendly!
Lentils are a versatile and humble ingredient that can be prepared in countless ways, including stews, curries, soups, and salads like this Mediterranean Lentil Salad. It’s definitely one of my favorite ingredients!
Today I am sharing a wonderful Lentil Kale Soup recipe. It’s loaded with lots of amazing veggies like kale, carrots, and celery. It’s the kind of soup we meal prep on Sunday afternoons for lunch the next week. Such a great make-ahead meal, and it freezes really well!
Lentils are a GREAT source of protein, potassium, and fiber. I’m always looking for ways to make well-balanced meals at home, and this nourishing lentil kale soup never disappoints! It’s my go-to recipe whenever I am craving a feel-good meal.
Other soups we’ve been loving lately are Italian Wedding Soup, Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup, and Turkey (or chicken) Orzo Soup. Check them out!
We love this lentil kale soup!
- Flavor-packed thanks to the veggie base, aromatics, and spice blend (cumin, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning).
- Hearty and filling, and good for you! Packed with so much goodness.
- Highly customizable: Add your favorite veggies or protein to this lentil kale soup.
- No need to pre-soak: Lentils cook in the simmering broth for a good 45 minutes, so they always turn out perfectly tender.
Jump to:
What Type of Lentils to Use
To make this lentil kale soup, I use green lentils. Brown lentils work just as well, and will cook slightly faster. You can find them by the beans section or bulk food section at your grocery store.
There are many varieties of lentils out there, with brown and green varieties being the most common. Green lentils sometimes display a brown-ish appearance with subtle hints of green. Cooking green lentils requires a little more time than brown variety.
For this recipe, I would not recommend using red, black, or le puy lentils as they may need different cooking methods and times.
Ingredient Notes
The ingredients used in lentil kale soup are quite simple and easy to find. As always, the full quantities can be located in the recipe card below, but I wanted to provide a few helpful notes here.
- Green or brown lentils: Green and brown are the most common out there. They are very similar, and taste about the same.
- Yellow onion, celery, carrots: The veggie base for the soup. Adds a lot of flavor.
- Minced garlic: Adds flavor to the veggie base.
- Cumin, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning: I like the combination of these three spices. They make this soup so fragrant and delicious!
- Canned diced tomatoes: Adds more flavor and vibrant colors to the soup.
- Vegetable broth: You may also use chicken broth.
- Chopped kale: You’ll need about 3 cups of chopped kale. I like to use fresh kale, but frozen works too.
- Olive oil, salt, and pepper
Step-by-Step Tutorial
Making lentil kale soup is a pretty straightforward process. It takes about 1 hour total, so I usually make it on Sundays when I have more time, and meal prep it (or freeze) for the rest of the week.
Step 1 | Sauté celery, onions, and aromatics
In a large 6-quart pot or Dutch oven, heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the diced celery and onions, and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes until softened. Then, stir in the minced garlic, and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the cumin, paprika, and Italian seasoning.
Step 2 | Stir in carrots
Next, add the diced carrots and stir to coat.
Step 3 | Add lentils and tomatoes
Stir in the lentils and the canned diced tomatoes until evenly combined.
Tip: Rinse the lentils through a colander to remove any debris.
Step 4 | Stir in broth, simmer
Stir in the vegetable broth. Increase the heat to bring to a boil quicker. Then, reduce heat and simmer the lentil soup with the lid partially covered for about 45 minutes or until fully cooked and tender. Check on the soup periodically. If it foams up (lentils tend to do that), skim off the foam.
Step 5 | Blend and add kale
Blending is optional, but I’d recommend it to add texture. Using an immersion blender, blend a few times, without completely pureeing the soup. Alternatively, you can use a countertop blender – blend only ⅓ of the soup and stir it back in. Then, stir in the chopped kale and simmer for another 3 minutes, uncovered, until softened. If needed, add more broth to taste.
Recipe Variations
The great thing about this lentil kale soup is that it’s highly customizable. Adding extra veggies is a great way to pack even more goodness in this hearty soup. Try the following:
- Instead of kale, use collard greens. It’s of similar texture.
- Diced potatoes (Note: you may need to add extra broth since the potatoes will thicken the soup)
- Mushrooms*
- Bell peppers*
- Zucchini*
*These should be added in the last 20 minutes of cook time.
To make it a heartier meal, add some protein. Brown it first in the same pot and remove from the pot – then return to the pot before adding the liquid and simmer together with everything.
- Sausage of your choice. Cajun-spiced sausage or Italian sausage work great here!
- Cubed ham
- Diced beef or ground beef
- Diced chicken
Make Ahead and Freezing
Make it ahead from start to finish and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. The fresher, the better of course. The lentils will continue to absorb liquid, so add a little bit of extra broth when reheating to loosen it up.
This lentil kale soup freezes really well too because it doesn’t contain any dairy. Let the prepared soup cool down completely. Then, transfer to freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or for a few hours.
I like to reheat my lentil kale over the stovetop, but the microwave works too. Stir it a few times and add extra broth as needed.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
My favorite way to serve this soup is actually pretty simple! I like to toast a few slices of sourdough, with some butter of course. If you’re looking for something fancier, give my Cheesy Garlic Bread a try.
If you prefer softer bread, make my Garlic Herb Rolls or Honey Butter Rolls in advance. Such a great pairing!
You could also go for a side salad. Try this Apple Kale Salad or Roasted Brussels sprouts and Butternut Squash.
More hearty soups you’ll love:
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Tomato Tortellini Soup
- Hearty Beef Barley Soup
- Turkey Orzo Soup
- Bacon Corn Potato Chowder
Recipe FAQs
If using green lentils, they need to simmer for about 45 minutes. Brown lentils take slightly less time to cook.
Green lentils are my go-to. Brown lentils work just as well, and take slightly less time to cook and soften.
Lentils naturally contain something called “saponins” on the skin, which produces foam when cooked. It’s safe to consume. Just skim it off with a spoon. To minimize this, rinse thoroughly before using.
No need. They cook and soften properly in the simmering broth.
This recipe was published in 2018 and updated in April 2023 to include new photos and information, plus a few recipe modifications.
Tips for Success
- Rinse lentils through a colander to remove any debris or residue.
- Lentils may naturally release foam when cooked in water, so don’t worry. Just skim off the foam from the top. Rinsing them before cooking minimizes foam.
- There is no need to pre-soak the lentils. They will cook and soften properly during the 45 minutes that this soup needs to simmer.
- Blending is optional, but I’d recommend doing it to add extra texture. Blend the soup with an immersion blender, just a few pulses to thicken it a little bit. You can also use a countertop blender – only blend ¼ or ⅓ of the soup, and then return it to the pot.
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Lentil Kale Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 cups dried green lentils - rinsed through a colander
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 8 cups vegetable broth - plus more as needed
- 3 cups chopped kale
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions and celery, and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes until softened. Then, stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Season with cumin, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.
- Add diced carrots and stir to coat.
- Add the lentils and the canned diced tomatoes, and stir to coat.
- Add the vegetable broth and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to simmer. With the lid partially covered, simmer for 45 minutes until the lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Tip: If it foams (lentils tend to do that), skim off foam with a spoon. That’s normal.
- Using an immersion blender, blend a few times, without completely pureeing the soup. This is just to give it some consistency. You may also use a countertop blender – blend ⅓ of the soup and stir it back into the pot.
- Add chopped kale and cook for another 3 minutes until reduced and tender. If too thick, add more broth as needed. Adjust seasoning to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
- What type of lentils to use: Green or brown lentils. Brown lentils take slightly less time to cook. If your grocery store’s package just says “Lentils” without specifying which type it is (I’ve seen this), it’s most likely the green variety.
- Do not use red, black, or le puy lentils. They have varying textures and cooking methods, and may not be suitable for this specific recipe.
- Freezing: Let soup cool down completely. Transfer to freezer-friendly bags or containers, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat.
- Storage: Refrigerate soup in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
- Kale: Spinach, collard greens. Frozen kale works too.
- Carrots: Frozen carrots.
- Vegetable broth: Chicken broth or stock.
Lynn Clary says
Wow, just finished making this. I went strictly by directions, if you don’t count one extra celery stalk. Delicious! Thanks I have made this recipe before. However, the key is to not bring the lentils to a complete boil before putting on simmer. I gradually adjusted the Heat until I got a hint of a boil. This process along with leaving the lid slightly a jarred, keep the lentils from getting overcooked.
Barb says
Hi Tania,
Thank you for your delicious recipe and easy to follow instructions. The soup was so tasty, filling and really hit the spot on a chilly winter day. I added one diced russet potato, and it was pure perfection!
Jennifer says
Good flavor
I added a slice apple and used brown mushrooms instead of The carrot’s.
Thank you for the recipe.
Tania says
Thank you! Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Louise Salas says
This is a good start for me. I double the amount of spices and added red pepper flakes and a bit of Better Than Bouillon for more layers of flavors. But that said, this recipe made it easy to hone to our specific palette. So thanks.
Anita Gardner says
YES, delicious recipe! I did not have any celery but substituted 1/2 green and red bell peppers. I also added 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Thank you!
Tania says
Thank you Anita! So glad you loved the recipe. I love the addition of bell peppers – sounds delicious!
Ruth says
This was DELICIOUS. I froze several portions and every time I thawed it and had it again, it was so good. Simple but superb.
Tania says
Thank you so much, Ruth!