In the fall and winter, I always turn to soups for some warm, soothing meals – and this lentil vegetable soup with tarragon and thyme is delicious! It’s perfect for this time of year and can easily be made with seasonal vegetables and ingredients that you can keep stocked in your pantry, such as canned tomatoes, spices, and lentils. But no meat! This soup is actually vegan, so anybody can enjoy it! It’s great for those when you might otherwise turn to canned chicken noodle soup, but maybe it’s a “meatless Monday,” you want something homemade, or you just want something a little different! This recipe makes 8 servings, so it’s something that can last several meals or you can even freeze leftovers to reheat on another day.
This lentil vegetable soup uses tarragon and thyme to add delicious flavors, and like pretty much any herb, they have been linked to some health benefits. A lot of these benefits are hard to pinpoint to specific herbs, so we aren’t completely sure if they’re true. What we do know is that they make this soup taste delicious! Although the soup takes about 75 minutes to prepare and cook, a lot of the cooking time is just allowing it to simmer, so you have some time to relax or get something else done while it finished cooking. We love making recipes that aren’t totally hands-on!
We have plenty of other hearty soup recipes on our website, too! Some of our favorites include beef and sweet potato chili, corn zucchini chowder, and slow cooker chicken enchilada soup!
Lentil Vegetable Soup with Tarragon and Thyme
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion yellow, diced
- 1 large carrot diced
- 2 medium celery sticks, diced
- 4 garlic minced
- 2 tsp tarragon dried
- 1 tsp thyme dried
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 16 oz tomato can Italian-style
- 2 quarts vegetable broth low sodium
- 2 cups lentils
- 2 bay leaf
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the yellow onions, carrots, and celery for about 10 minutes, until the onions have browned a bit. Add the garlic, tarragon, thyme, and paprika and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir to de-glaze the pot.
- Add the broth, lentils, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Once soup is boiling, lower heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 45 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
- Add more water if it looks too thick or cook uncovered until desired thickness is reached if it is too thin. Serve with good, crusty bread.
Private Notes
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Nutrition info is an estimate and may contain errors.
Klara Knezevic has over a decade of experience in the nutrition field and currently serves as the CEO and co-owner of Rebecca Bitzer and Associates. Klara is passionate about sharing practical nutrition tips to help you feel confident in the choices that you make. Coauthor of Cooking with Food Sensitivities Survival Guide and Nourished: 10 Ingredients to Happy, Healthy Eating.
