French Lentil Soup (Vegan)
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.A french lentil soup that is hearty and nutritious. This vegan stew is satisfying and the perfect cozy meal! This soup is filled with protein packed lentils and is full of vegetables. It’s creamy, flavorful and tastes incredible!
When the weather cools down I crave warm foods. There is nothing quite like a bowl of warm creamy lentil stew to warm your insides, especially when it’s super healthy and made with whole foods.
This rich and creamy vegan lentil stew is full of healthy ingredients and anti-inflammatory benefits, a perfect cozy meal!
The recipes inside will literally make your stomach growl as you peruse the pages. Looking through each section, I couldn’t decide which recipe to review!
Ingredients
Lucky for you, I get to share this French lentil soup recipe with all of you! Here are the ingredients you need:
- Raw cashews
- Yellow or sweet onion
- Garlic
- Carrots diced
- Celery diced
- Cumin
- Thyme
- Turmeric
- Diced tomatoes
- French green lentils
- Veggie broth
- Swiss chard or kale leaves
- White wine vinegar
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Black pepper
- Sea Salt
How to Make Vegan Lentil Stew
This lentil stew recipe came together SO easily! I literally had three tired, cranky, hungry kids at my feet as I prepped and cooked, but I was still able to do it all in record time.
- Make the cashew cream.
- Sauté the onions.
- Add the carrots, celery and spices.
- Stir in the tomatoes, lentils and broth.
- Mix in the cream and chard and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This vegan lentil soup can be served as a meal all on its own, or with any of the following recipes:
Preparation Tips
- I tested this veggie lentil stew with both cashew and sunflower seed cream, and both versions work great.
- It’s a perfect recipe for those with tree nut allergies (as long as you can eat sunflower seeds).
- The French green lentils hold their shape well and add a bit of a chew, but feel free to use green or brown lentils if that’s all you can find. The stew will just be thicker since green and brown lentils break down a bit more.
Storage Tips
- Cool the stew before storing.
- This stew will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Vegan lentil stew can also be frozen it for 1 to 2 months.
- I like to store in a glass airtight container. I also put plastic wrap right over the top, so it is touching the surface before putting the top on. This helps freezer burn.
- The stew will thicken after sitting in the fridge; you can thin it out with a bit of broth when you reheat it, if desired, or simply serve it thick with some crusty bread.
Common Questions
Can you add dry lentils to stew?
Yep! That’s the great thing about lentils, they don’t need soaking. Lentils cook much faster than other dried beans so soaking is not necessary. This lentil stew will cook in about 30-25 minutes!
What goes with lentils?
The question should really be, what doesn’t go good with lentils! Really any veggie or savory item I have tried goes amazing with lentils. I love them cold or warm. In a stew or a salad. Some of my favorite ways to use lentils are with tomatoes and this Greek lentils soup, make them into a lentil burger, add them to a salad, or sauté with onions and other seasonal veggies.
How do you keep lentils from splitting?
The key to keeping a lentils shape. and keeping them from getting mushy, is to make sure you don’t overcook them. Because lentils take a shorter time to cook than other dried beans, people tend to let them cook too long.
Make sure you test them often by trying them and checking consistency. Also, you want to make sure the lentils you buys are fresh, old lentils shed their skin faster and turn mushy.
French Lentil Soup (Vegan)
There is nothing like a nourishing bowl of French lentil soup on a cool day. I use French green lentils, cashew cream, and vegetables to simmer into a comforting meal that is creamy, satisfying, and ready in just under an hour.
Servings: 4
Calories: 343kcal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, or 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 mL) raw sunflower seeds (125 mL)
- 2 cups water (500 mL)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , optional, use broth for oil free (30 mL)
- 1 large yellow or sweet onion diced, or 2 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced (about 2 cups/500 mL)
- 4 large cloves garlic minced (2 tablespoons/ 30 mL minced)
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt, to taste , plus a couple pinches (5 to 7 mL)
- 2 medium carrots diced (1 heaping cup/275 mL)
- 2 stalks celery diced (3/4 cup/175 mL)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme (7 mL)
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric (5 mL)
- 1 can of diced tomatoes, with juices (14-ounce/398 mL)
- 3/4 cup uncooked French green lentils, picked over and rinsed (175 mL)
- 4 cups veggie broth , low sodium (1 L)
- 3 cups stemmed and chopped Swiss chard or kale leaves (750 mL)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 to 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar , to taste (5 to 10 mL)
Instructions
- Put the cashews in a bowl and cover with a couple of inches of water. Soak for 1 to 2 hours or overnight. (For a quick-soak method, cover with boiling water and soak for 30 to 60 minutes.) Drain and rinse.
- Transfer the cashews to a high-speed blender along with 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the water. Blend on high until super smooth and creamy in texture. Set the cashew cream aside.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil (or use broth for oil free) over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, and a couple pinches of salt, and sauté until the onion is softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Stir in the carrots and celery, and cook for another few minutes or so. Stir in the cumin, thyme, and turmeric until combined.
- Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, lentils, broth, and remaining water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
- Stir in the cashew cream and chard. Add salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste. (The vinegar’s role is to add a little bit of brightness to the soup; add a bit at a time and keep tasting, as it can quickly overwhelm.)
- Cook for a couple of minutes over low-medium heat, until the chard is wilted, and then serve.
- This stew will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or you can freeze it for 1 to 2 months (always let it cool completely before storing). The stew will thicken after sitting in the fridge; you can thin it out with a bit of broth when you reheat it, if desired, or simply serve it thick with some crusty bread.
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this French lentil soup recipe is to blend the cashew cream until it is completely smooth before adding it to the pot. A silky cream melts right into the broth, giving the soup a rich, velvety texture without grainy little bits of cashew floating around. If I am working with a blender that is not particularly powerful, I soak the cashews longer so the final soup stays creamy.
- Rinse the lentils: I always rinse the lentils and quickly look through them before cooking. It only takes a minute or two, but it saves me from biting into a tiny pebble or cooking with dusty lentils.
- Saute the spices: After the carrots and celery go in, I give the cumin, thyme, and turmeric a minute in the pot before adding the liquids. This helps the spices bloom and gives the broth a more full-bodied flavor.
- Go nut-free: Instead of cashew cream, I use sunflower seed cream, which works really well and is perfect for anyone with a tree nut allergy.
- Add vinegar last: I never stir the vinegar in too early. A small bit right at the end keeps the flavor fresh instead of flat. Adding it early will cook away most of the acidic brightness needed to add dimension.
- Chop greens small: I like chopping the Swiss chard or kale into bite-sized pieces so they soften quickly and distribute well through the soup, without any large, awkward strips that can be difficult to eat.
Nutrition
Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 254mg | Potassium: 821mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 6875IU | Vitamin C: 16.9mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 5.8mg
