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
Instructions
- Chop the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and salt and saute in the olive oil for about 12-15 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, simply use water. Cook until the liquid is almost all absorbed, about 2-3 minutes.
- Pour the broth into the pot, along with the lentils. 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 both tender.
- 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