Chunky Lentil and Vegetable Soup Is Hearty And Flavorful

As a vegetarian, it’s always a struggle to get enough protein. Over the years, I’ve found that my best chance at getting enough is through soup — specifically, lentil soup. I can add the vegetables I love, but I also load it with lentils to make sure I’m getting what I need.

Soup recipes may seem easy, but I am here to tell you that sometimes they’re a dud. I have made some decent lentil soups — and some with no flavor. I may have found my new go-to recipe, however, because not only is this chunky lentil and vegetable soup packed with a double dose of protein from lentils and black beans, but you pretty much just throw everything in a pot and let it cook. So easy!

Not only that, but it also comes from the blog Budget Bytes, so it won’t cost you much to make. In fact, it’s only $5.24 for the entire recipe, or 52 cents per serving.

If you’re looking for a similar recipe that is more creamy than brothy, this “Best Lentil Soup” recipe from Cookie + Kate uses mostly pantry ingredients, so you probably have most of them on hand. Kate, the blogger behind Cookie + Kate, says the soup not only has a hearty texture, but is also lightly creamy even though it doesn’t have cream (in fact, the recipe is vegan!). The trick, she says, is to blend some of the soup after you cook the lentils, then pour it back into the pot. Genius!

If you’re like me and struggle to get protein, you may also want to check out these seven high-protein vegetarian soups. From chickpea stew to quinoa to black bean, all of them sound delicious and cozy. How tasty does this quinoa black bean pumpkin soup from the blog Avocado Pesto look?

Will you be making some lentil and vegetable soup this winter?