A bowl of easy vegetarian lentil soup with sliced lemons next to it
Photography, Alison Slattery

Easy Vegetarian Lentil Soup

Hearty vegan comfort food.

The many Indian restaurants on Rue Jean-Talon and Boulevard de l’Acadie in Montreal are brimming with the most delectable stews and soups. For this soup, we combined some of our favourite inspirations from places like Bombay Mahal Express, Pushap, Atma, Chand Palace, Malhi Sweets and Le 409. Some people may have had lacklustre experiences with lentil soup before, but this one has so many vibrant pops of flavour – between the ginger, spicy cayenne, lime juice and tomatoes – that it will brighten your palate even on the dreariest of days. And it’s vegan, to boot. – Rebecca and Mandy Wolfe

A bowl of easy vegetarian lentil soup with sliced lemons next to it

Easy Vegetarian Lentil Soup

A vibrant, flavour‑packed vegetarian lentil soup from Mandy's restaurant featuring green lentils, ginger, garlic, cumin, tomatoes and lime — a vegan, comforting main dish that’s simple and satisfying.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tbsp minced ginger
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • pinch cayenne
  • pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • cups dried green lentils
  • 1 L sodium-reduced vegetable broth
  • 398 mL can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp lime juice approx
  • cilantro for garnish

Instructions
 

  • In large Dutch oven, melt coconut oil over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens and becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add cumin and cayenne, and season lightly with salt and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  • Add lentils and broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until lentils are tender but not mushy, about 25 to 30 minutes.
  • Stir in crushed tomatoes, maple syrup and lime juice. Check seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper and more lime juice. Garnish with cilantro before serving.

Notes

Freezing notes:

This soup can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to seven days or in the freezer for up to six months.
Keyword comfort food, lentil soup, lentil soup with ginger, lentils, vegan lentil soup, vegetable soup, vegetarian lentil soup

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Excerpted from More Mandy’s: More Recipes We Love by Mandy Wolfe, Rebecca Wolfe and Meredith Erickson. Copyright © 2022 Amanda Wolfe and Rebecca Wolfe. Photography by Alison Slattery, Two Food Photographers. Design by Cow Goes Moo. Illustrations by Neethi. Published by Appetite by Random House, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
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