I never knew how much I'd dread the question, "What's for dinner, Mom?" when I grew up and had kids. But what I dread even more is the reaction I'm going to get when I answer. It's so unpredictable, especially when it's healthy food.
Obviously there are a lot of lentil soups out there. And I have tried too many to count, but seriously, this Red Lentil Spinach soup is sooo good and by far, my absolute fave! But what I love most about it is that it's super healthy and only 7 Weight Watchers points on the blue plan per serving (and that's a big serving)!
I remember what I used to say when I was a kid and my Mom made soup...
Jump to:
Although I'm a self-professed meat girl, eating vegetarian is something that I do quite often. But for me to give up eating meat at a meal, it's got to be damn good vegetarian! And by good, I mean tasty and HEARTY! That's what I love about this lentil soup- I don't even miss the meat.
It's really discouraging to spend so much time cooking, trying to balance a grocery budget and feed healthy, delicious food to your family to have your kids respond with that disappointed, "awww...." when you tell them it's soup for supper, when they were clearly hoping for pizza or something equally as junky. But that's exactly what I used to do to my Mom.
I really feel for my Mom now, especially when she made soup. However, as soon as I grew up and moved away, I totally craved her homemade soup. And this recipe is very similar to her lentil soup. It's actually a combination of hers and one I found years ago in a Good Housekeeping Magazine. Oh and the bonus is that my whole family loves it! I don't even get the dreaded "awww...." when I tell them this soup is for dinner.
🥗 Side dishes for lentil soup
If you're not sure what to serve with lentil soup, bread and salad are always ideal. Here are a few WW friendly suggestions:
- Everything Bagel Cloud Bread Recipe- 0 (Zero) WW points! (shown)
- Strawberry Spinach Salad with Honey Lime Cilantro Dressing
- Easy Quinoa Salad
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Stock: This may seem odd, but I often use chicken bouillon instead of vegetable because I really like the flavor. It's not true vegetarian, but it's still a 'meatless' dish.
- Tomatoes: you can use fresh instead of canned.
- Spinach: although fresh spinach is ideal, you can substitute frozen.
🌶️Make it spicy
If you love it spicy, then simply add a ¼ tsp cayenne and a ¼ tsp crushed red peppers/chili flakes.
🌡️Storing
Make ahead: This is a quick and easy lentil and spinach soup that can be made in 30 minutes. You can make it when you get home from work or make it ahead. It will store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing: This soup freezes well for up to 6 months
💭Benefits of Lentils
Meat is really expensive and lentils are a really economical replacement for meat. I love lentils because they're not only quick and easy to prepare, they taste great! But I also eat them because they are really healthy! Packed with fibre, they're also a great source of protein, folate, iron and help to prevent chronic illness. You can read more about the benefits of lentils HERE!
So, if you're looking for some quick, healthy and economical dinners, give this Red Lentil Spinach Soup a try!
⭐ Reviews
Did you make this recipe? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!
Please SUBSCRIBE (get my FREE E-cookbook) and be sure to FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!
And if you love lentils, why not try my No Bake Healthy Chocolate Lentil Dessert Lasagna?!
📋 Red Lentil Spinach Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 carrots, chopped into ¼ inch circles
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 6 tsp vegetable bouillon -add more to taste * or chicken bouillon if you don't care that it's strictly vegetarian (see NOTES)
- 6 cups boiling water
- 2 cups dried red lentils
- 5 cups baby spinach
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp tumeric
Instructions
- In a 4 qt sauce pan, heat oil and add carrots and onions and saute 10 mins or until light browned and tender.
- Add bouillon to boiling water and mix until dissolved
- Add tomatoes, cumin, tumeric, garlic, broth, lentils, cover and heat on high until it starts to boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer covered, for about 10 minutes or until lentils are tender. Stir in spinach and serve.
Notes
- Everything Bagel Cloud Bread Recipe- 0 (Zero) WW points!
- Strawberry Spinach Salad with Honey Lime Cilantro Dressing
- Easy Quinoa Salad
L
I want to make this tomorrow but I am confused about the amount of baby spinach, 50 oz??
Seems like too much. Is this an error?
Also, I have a bag of regular spinach, if I chop it up how much? One cup?
Thanks
Terri Gilson
Hi sorry for the confusion- something went wonky with the conversion in my recipe plug-in! It should be 5 cups. I will change it. Hope you enjoy the soup!
L
Still seems like a lot! I'm worried about the 4 carrots too. I will proceed with caution and report back,lol
L
It's good! I had to give the lentils more time to pop and added more water. I was cautious with the veggies and added a small can of chopped mushrooms.
Will make this again.
Terri Gilson
Glad you liked it! Yes, it's a lot of spinach but it shrinks quite a bit. But you don't have to use that much - it's personal preference . thanks!
L
I also added some spices, some of us like it hot!
Here is another recipe that I have had luck with https://www.bhg.com/recipe/soups/eggplant-soup/
I am mostly interested in vegetarian soups, however I do use chicken broth (homemade) as a base, so I am not strict about it. I also like a little Parmesan cheese sprinkled on some soups.