Lentil Vegetable Soup

There’s something about the first cool days of fall that makes a big pot of soup feel like exactly what you need. The windows are open, the leaves are starting to change, and suddenly I’m ready for all things warm, cozy, and simmering on the stove.

This Lentil Vegetable Soup is one of those simple, hearty recipes that feels like fall in a bowl. It’s packed with lentils, vegetables, tomatoes, and fresh spinach in a rich, flavorful broth—and it’s just as good reheated the next day (maybe even better).

Serve it with a big piece of crusty bread, curl up somewhere cozy, and call dinner done.

🌿 What You'll Need

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped small

• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• Fine sea salt and black pepper

• 2 heaping cups Russet potatoes, chopped into bite-size pieces

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 14–oz can crushed tomatoes

• 1 cup dry green or brown lentils, rinsed

• 6 cups vegetable broth

• 1 dried bay leaf

• 1 cup firmly packed spinach leaves, chopped

👩‍🍳 How to Make It

• Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once it’s nice and hot, toss in the onions, carrots, and celery. Add a good pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper, then let everything cook for about 5–8 minutes, until the veggies start to soften.

• Add the potatoes, garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika. Give everything a good stir and cook for another minute or so. Your kitchen should be smelling pretty good right about now.

• Pour in the lentils, broth, crushed tomatoes, and add the bay leaf. Bring everything to a boil, then turn the heat down and let it simmer, partially covered, for 25–35 minutes. You want the lentils nice and tender—but not complete mush.

• Fish out that bay leaf. Its work here is done.

• Toss in the spinach and let it cook for just a few more minutes, until it’s wilted into the soup.

• Give it a taste and add a little more salt and pepper if it needs it.

✨ Grab a bowl, some crusty bread, and dig in!

💙 Blueprint Kitchen Tip: Make a double batch and freeze half in individual portions. It’s an easy grab-and-go lunch or the perfect dinner to pull out of the freezer on a chilly night when cooking is the last thing you feel like doing.

Good food doesn’t have to be complicated to bring a little comfort to your day.

Because at Blueprint Crafts, we believe the best memories aren't always made with paint, vinyl, or wood...

Sometimes they're made around the dinner table.

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Other Ways to Prepare:

🥣 Crock-Pot Lentil Vegetable Soup

Add the olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, crushed tomatoes, rinsed lentils, vegetable broth, bay leaf, salt, and pepper directly to your Crock-Pot. Give everything a good stir, pop the lid on, and let the Crock-Pot do its thing.

Cook on LOW for 7–8 hours or HIGH for 3½–4½ hours, until the lentils and potatoes are tender. Because slow cookers vary, I’d start checking toward the lower end of those ranges—you want tender lentils, not lentil mush.

Once everything is cooked, fish out the bay leaf (its work here is done, again 😆). Stir in the spinach, put the lid back on, and let it cook for another 5–10 minutes, just until the spinach wilts.

Give it a taste, add a little more salt and pepper if needed, then grab the crusty bread and dig in.

💙 Blueprint Kitchen Tip: If you have an extra 10 minutes, sauté the onions, carrots, and celery in the olive oil before adding them to the Crock-Pot, then add the garlic and spices for the last minute. It adds a little more depth of flavor—but if you're making this in the Crock-Pot because you want to dump everything in and walk away, skip it. It'll still be delicious.

One other adjustment: your stovetop recipe calls for 6 cups of vegetable broth. Since very little liquid evaporates from a slow cooker, I'd start with 5 cups and add the sixth cup toward the end if you want a brothier soup.