Should you soak lentils before making soup?

There's no need to soak lentils for cooking soup. Lentils cook fast and will be tender after a short simmer in the soup pot. However, people say that soaking lentils (and legumes, in general) make them easier to digest and produces less gas. If you do soak them, you may find you don't need to simmer the soup as long.

Can you overcook lentil soup?

You can overcook lentils to the point that they become mushy. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially in a soup.

How long does this lentil soup last?

Lentil soup reheats well, freezes well, and is easy to double if you want to stretch it out to feed more people or have meals to enjoy throughout the week. It will last approximately four days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. If you know you'll want to freeze the leftovers of this soup before you start cooking, I suggest cooking and freezing the rice separately and then adding it in when serving. Otherwise, the rice will become mushy. Here are some good soup freezing tips if you want to learn more.

Lentil and Rice Soup

Description

This healthy lentil and rice soup is the perfect homemade comfort food. All you need are some everyday pantry staples and a few vegetables for a flavorful soup in no time.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 onion
2 carrots
1 stalk celery
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 /2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
8 cups vegetable broth
1 cup lentils
1/2 cup short-grain white rice, such as Arborio
1 medium tomato
1 8-ounce ham steak
2 cups chopped greens, such as spinach or chard
zest and juice of 1 lemon

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Instructions

Prep the ingredients. Chop the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.
Cook the veg. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the vegetables and salt and saute for about 7-8 minutes, stirring often. Now stir in the cumin, oregano, thyme, sage, cayenne, nutmeg, paprika, and black pepper.
Deglaze the pot by pouring in the white wine and scraping the bottom with your spoon. If you don't want to use wine or don't have any handy, use water. Cook until the liquid is almost all absorbed, about 2 minutes.
Simmer the soup. Pour the broth and lentils into the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. While the soup simmers, chop the tomato, ham steak, and greens. After 15 minutes, stir in the rice, tomato, ham, and greens and continue to cook for 15 minutes more or until the lentils and rice are tender.
Taste and serve. When done, stir in the lemon zest and juice. Taste the soup and add more salt, if needed, and serve hot.

Notes

The soup will thicken as it cools, so when reheating, just add some water to thin it back out.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Category: Soups and Stews
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Middle Eastern