This black bean and lentil soup is packed with nourishing ingredients and is a must-make on cold days! It is perfect for loading up on nutritious vegetables, fiber, and protein. Plus, it's super flavorful and very easy to make.
If you're looking for more soup recipes to try, be sure to add this black bean and lentil soup to your list! It's perfect for feeding your family or for preparing a quick and delicious dinner for yourself (plus, this recipe is freezer-friendly, which is always great for meal prep!).
It is packed with nutritious ingredients, has the best flavor, and is very satiating. It's also really easy to make in one big pot, which means fewer dishes to clean up after cooking.
And if you've tried some of my other soup recipes, such as my German sausage lentil soup or white bean and kale soup, I'm sure that you'll love this soup recipe, too!
Black Bean and Lentil Soup Ingredients
To make this black bean and lentil soup, you'll need the following ingredients:
- Lentils: You'll need green or brown lentils for this recipe. Just pick the type of lentil you'd usually use for soups. I used brown lentils for this recipe.
- Black Beans: You'll also need black beans. I recommend using canned black beans as they can be used immediately. If you prefer dried beans, feel free to use them. Just make sure to soak them in advance so that they are ready when you want to start cooking.
- Vegetables: For this soup, you'll need carrots, celery, and kale. You'll also need lemons for a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to finish the soup.
- Aromatics: Yellow onion and garlic are a must to make this soup taste flavorful and delicious! So be sure to use them.
- Vegetable broth: Vegetable broth is used as the soup base. You can use water, but I would recommend sticking with vegetable broth. It adds a lot of flavor which is always great when making soups!
- Spices: You'll need paprika powder, curry powder, ground cumin, and red pepper flakes to make this black bean and lentil soup. This combination of spices tastes amazing with the other ingredients in this soup!
- Tomato paste: Tomato paste is another important ingredient that adds richness and flavor to the soup, so be sure to have some on hand when you make this recipe.
- Bay leaves: Bay leaves really add to the flavor of this soup and make it taste super aromatic and delicious!
How to make black bean and lentil soup
Sauté the vegetables and aromatics. First, preheat some olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Then add the aromatics and vegetables and sauté until the vegetables start to soften.
Season and sauté. Next, add the tomato paste and spices. Continue to sauté everything for 1-2 minutes to toast the spices.
Combine and simmer. Add the lentils, black beans, vegetable broth, and bay leaves to the pot. Stir, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer for about 25 minutes until the lentils are tender.
Blend and stir in the kale. When the lentils are tender, take out the bay leaves. Blend the soup partially with an immersion blender. Then stir in the kale and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Finish and serve. Finish the soup with a squeeze of lemon juice and stir everything. Serve, garnish with parsley, and enjoy this black bean and lentil soup!
Tips & Notes
- Be sure to sauté everything after adding the spices and tomato paste. The soup will taste a lot more flavorful and delicious when you toast the spices and tomato paste!
- Don't forget to take out the bay leaves before blending the soup. You don't want to blend the bay leaves with the other ingredients, so make sure that you remove them before blending the soup.
- If you don't have an immersion blender, use a regular blender. You can just spoon some of your soup into a stand mixer and use it to blend the soup. If both options aren't available to you, you can enjoy the soup without blending it. I just prefer blending it to thicken the broth and to make it taste a tiny bit more flavorful.
- Make sure that the lentils are tender before blending some of the soup. As cook time varies with the type of lentil that is used, I recommend checking the package instructions and checking the lentils before blending.
Variations
- Use another type of beans or lentils. You could use green lentils instead of brown lentils. Or you could use white beans or kidney beans instead of black beans. It's an easy way to switch up the flavor of this soup.
- Stir in some baby spinach instead of kale. Both are great options for adding some leafy greens to your soup! Just pick the one that you prefer.
- Switch up the seasoning of the soup. You could use some chili powder, cayenne pepper, or dried herbs. The soup tastes great as is but you can definitely switch things up!
Frequently Asked Questions
This black bean and lentil soup is super flavorful and aromatic! It is quite mild but doesn't taste bland at all! The soup is seasoned with delicious spices like paprika powder, red pepper flakes, and ground cumin. Tomato paste also adds a lot of depth and flavor to this soup. It's one of my favorite soups to make and I'm sure that you'll love it!
It's not spicy at all! The red pepper flakes only add a tiny hint of spice. The soup is well-seasoned and should be perfect for most people!
There is no reason to use dried beans instead of canned beans. If you prefer them, you can absolutely use them! Just make sure to soak them so that they are ready to be used when you want to cook this black bean and lentil soup.
I recommend serving some rustic bread alongside this soup. It makes your meal more filling and tastes really great when dipped into the flavorful broth!
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. If you prefer to freeze them, store them in your freezer for up to 3 months.
Sure! This recipe is actually perfect for making a few extra servings and freezing them for meal prep. You can store leftovers in your freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, let the soup thaw before warming it up in your microwave or on your stovetop.
More easy and delicious soups and stews
If you are looking for more simple and tasty soups and stews that you can try, make sure to check out the following recipes. They are very easy to make and taste incredibly flavorful and delicious!
- Vegetarian Chili
- German Sausage Lentil Soup
- White Bean and Kale Soup
- Lentil Potato Soup
- German Potato Soup
Black Bean and Lentil Soup
Equipment
- 1 Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup lentils green or brown
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups chopped kale
- lemon juice to taste
Instructions
- First, preheat some olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Then add the aromatics and vegetables and sauté until the vegetables start to soften.2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 yellow onion, 2 garlic cloves
- Next, add the tomato paste and spices. Continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes.2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon paprika powder, ½ teaspoon curry powder, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
- Now add the lentil, black beans, vegetable broth, and bay leaves. Cover the pot and let the soup simmer for 25 minutes until the lentils are tender.1 cup lentils, 1 can black beans, 6 cups vegetable broth, 2 bay leaves
- Take out the bay leaves. Partially blend the soup with an immersion blender. Then stir in the kale and let the soup simmer for 1-2 minutes until it softens.
- Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and stir again. Garnish with parsley (optional) and enjoy!2 cups chopped kale, lemon juice
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