Zucchini Lentil Soup

2020-12-10

It’s been a while since I’ve written a post for a recipe. But it’s also been a tough year for everyone. With the same routine everyday and nothing to really break up the monotony, it got pretty hard to do some recipe testing, especially posting a few new recipes a week. I guess it’s called burnout. Creativity really does need inspiration from other places to manifest. And I wasn’t getting much of that just sitting at home all day eating the same food everyday.

Even if we don’t do this as often as before, it’s still one of my hobbies. No, we don’t make money from having a food blog, but that’s just the way I want it. Less pressure. And it’s that much more enjoyable when we do get back to it and take fun pictures and post a really delicious recipe. But that’s just us, everyone’s different.

Anyway, this is one of my recent soup favorites. It’s great for getting rid of old vegetables, since this soup takes it all: carrots, celery, onion, potatoes, zucchini, and kale. Those are pretty much the only vegetables I buy most weeks anyway. And not only does this soup use accessible ingredients, it’s super easy to make, and it tastes amazing. The bright flavors from the diced tomatoes, herbs, and parmesan really bring it all together.

You can use fresh herbs instead of dried, but you may have to adjust the ratios a little bit, depending on your preference. And if you’re vegan, you could take out the cheese, but you know I won’t be doing that!

If you’re looking for a tasty new soup to try, give this a go! I know just exactly how hard it is to find the motivation to cook something these days, so hopefully this makes it easy for you.

Serving Size: 6 cups
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 1 pound potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 2-3 potatoes)
  • 1 medium zucchini, chopped
  • 1 cup green lentils, rinsed
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup chopped packed kale
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil + more for topping
  • Parmesan cheese rind + grated parmesan for topping
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. 1. Heat some olive oil in a large saucepan on medium high heat.
  2. 2. Add the celery, carrots, and onion and sauté for a few minutes until slightly translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for a few more minutes. Season everything with sea salt and ground pepper.
  3. 3. Stir in the vegetable broth and add the lentils and potatoes. Then add in the dried and fresh herbs. Once the soup comes to a boil again, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 20-25 minutes, or until the lentils and potatoes have softened.
  4. 4. Add in the can of diced tomatoes, zucchini, and kale and mix together. Drop a small piece of parmesan rind into the soup (about 1-2 square inches). The rind helps add to the flavor and can be left in the soup or be removed after the soup is cooked.
  5. 5. Let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes, until the zucchini and lentils are soft.
  6. 6. Serve warm, topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese and more chopped basil for garnish.
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