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This French Lentil Soup recipe is surprisingly easy and quick to make . You will enjoy thishealthy, delicious & hearty meal in a bowl.
Judging by the way my husband's eyes light up when I say I am making my Lentil Soup, I know I have a winner. In this recipe I use "Lentilles du Puy" which are a green lentil variety from the Puy region in France that you can find in many grocery stores.
Ten minutes of prep time and forty five minutes of simmering time and you have the best soup to enjoy through the week - one of my favorite meal prep recipes.
If you love soups, I invite you to join mySoup Sunday Challenge. Together, we make one pot of soup per week. I will be happy to share with you mySoup Recipes Ebook, including recipes such as:
Magical Leek Soup,French Onion Soup GratinéeandPotage aux Légumes
French Lentil Soup
Meal Prep ideas
As a busy mom of 2, I am always looking for healthy meals that I can cook in big batches (you can read more about mybatch cookinghere) that the whole family will love. I like to portion my soups out into individual meal sized storage containers. Half the containers go in the fridge to be eaten through the week, the other half go in the freezer to be pulled out when I am in a pinch. I love shopping my freezer for my homemade meals and this French Lentil Soup is one of my go-to's. It freezes beautifully and can either be served on its own as a soup or as a side to grilled sausages. "Saucisses et Lentils" is a classic bistro dish in France.
On a recent "date night" withLe Chef, we set a table for 2, played some Charles Aznavour ballads, opened a bottle of red wine and enjoyed a simple meal of sausages and lentils. It "almost" felt like we were in Lyon...
Ready to start cooking? On y va!
French Lentil Soup Recipe:
Equipment Needed:
1 Stockpot ( I used my smaller Le Creuset Stock pot for this recipe)
Chef's Knife ( This is the Wusthof Chef's Knife we have in our kitchen, )
French Lentil Soup Ingredients:
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 medium sized yellow onion, diced
- 4 oz Pancetta or lardons ( I have also chopped up 4 slices of bacon for this recipe if I didn't have pancetta)
- 2 cups French green lentils (also known as Lentils du Puy)
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped in small pieces
- 1 bouillon cube (I like beef flavor for this recipe, but chicken works very well too)
- 1 bouquet garni (1 sprig of rosemary, 2 sprigs of thyme, 1 bay leaf tied together with some cooking string). 2 teaspoons of Herbes de Provence would also work well as a substitute if you don't have fresh herbs.
- 8 cups of water
Instructions:
- Place a stock pot on medium high heat - no need to add olive oil.
- Add the pancetta and sear until the meat begins to lightly brown.
- Add the chopped garlic and yellow onion while stirring.
- Throw in the bouquet garni (by now your kitchen should smell amazing!!)
- Rinse the lentils using a fine strainer.
- When the onions become translucent, add in the carrots, the lentils and 8 cups of water.
- Once soup has heated to a soft boil, add in the bouillon cube. Give a good stir.
- Bring the heat down to a gentle simmer. Cover partially and let the soup simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water, 1 cup at a time, if you need to.
- After 45 minutes it is time to taste test! Because of the saltiness of the pancetta and the bouillon cube, I don't find that this recipe needs salt, but feel free to add some if you wish.
- Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil or fresh grated parmesan cheese. Delicious with a fresh baked baguette, of course!
Storage Instructions
Portion into smaller containers to let cool before putting in the fridge. The best part is that this soup is even better the next day!
This soup will keep 4 days in the fridge (when kept in an airtight container) and 1-2 months in the freezer. I always make sure to freeze a few individual portions in the freezer as it keeps so well and is a perfect last minute healthy meal for a busy mom on the go!
Variations
- You can choose to blend this soup with an immersion blender, and add a ½ cup of cream for a cream of lentil soup. I personally like to leave the lentils whole, it makes for a hearty soup.
- Add in leafy greens such as spinach, kale or Swiss chard for extra nutrients
- To make this soup vegetarian and vegan, omit the pancetta and use vegetable stock.
- You can add sweet potato for extra heft in your soup.
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste also adds a nice rich flavor.
Italian Good Luck Lentils
In Italy it is customary to serve a bowl of lentil soup after midnight on New Year's Eve to bring good luck and prosperity. The coin shaped lentils are thought to bring good luck!
On the French Riviera we also do this as there is a very strong Italian influence. This recipe would be perfect for New Year's eve.
FAQ
What are French lentils?
French Green Lentils are also known as Le Puy lentils. They are green in color and hold up well when cooking. If you can't find le Puy lentils, go with green, or brown lentils. They hold up well when cooking contrary to orange or red lentils that melt into your dish. Le Puy lentils are my favorite type of lentil. They have a a slightly smoky flavor.
What is the difference between red lentils and green lentils?
There are many lentil varieties. The most common are green or brown or red and orange. Green and brown lentils are great for hearty soups or salads. They hold their shape in cooking and remain a little chewy. Red or orange lentils literally melt into whatever you are cooking and a easy way to add protein and depth of flavor to a soup or stew without additional texture. Red lentils are often used in vegetarian curries or vegetable soup.
Are lentils good for you?
Lentils are a great source of protein, folate and fiber and are super easy to cook. They also give you iron and potassium. Did I mention they are also very inexpensive? You can make a full meal out of pantry staples with lentils.
Let me know if you also try the Magical Leek Soup - I love to hear from you!
About Le Chef's Wife
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband,Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (6 and 3) and I have a full time job in hospitality in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
Look inside our Kitchen with this recentWashington Post Article. We were recently featured on theTODAY SHOWfor our recipes ofFrench Onion Soup GratinéeandMoelleux au Chocolat. You can watch our full segment here:
I share our home cooking onInstagram,pinterestandtiktok. Sign up for mynewsletterto be the first to receive my new recipes and have advance access to cooking classes. I look forward to cooking with you!
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Au plaisir,
Le Chef's Wife
French Lentil Soup Recipe
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 5 reviews
- Author: lechefswife
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 55 minutes
Description
This French Lentil Soup recipe is surprisingly easy and quick to make. 10 minutes of prep time, 45 minutes of simmering time and you have a delicious, hearty meal in a bowl to enjoy throughout the week. Ideal for meal prep, this soup freezes very well and can be repurposed into a variety of dishes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 medium sized yellow onion, diced
- 4 oz Pancetta or lardons ( I have also chopped up 4 slices of bacon for this recipe if I didn't have pancetta)
- 2 cups French green lentils (also known as Lentils du Puy)
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped in small pieces
- 1 bouillon cube (I like beef flavor for this recipe, but chicken works very well too)
- 1 bouquet garni (1 sprig of rosemary, 2 sprigs of thyme, 1 bay leaf tied together with some cooking string)
- 8 cups of water
Instructions
- Place a stock pot on medium high heat - no need to add olive oil.
- Add the pancetta and sear until the meat begins to lightly brown.
- Add the chopped garlic and yellow onion while stirring.
- Throw in the bouquet garni (by now your kitchen should smell amazing!!)
- Rinse the lentils using a fine strainer.
- When the onions become translucent, add in the carrots, the lentils and 8 cups of water.
- Once soup has heated to a soft boil, add in the bouillon cube. Give a good stir.
- Bring the heat down to a gentle simmer. Cover partially and let the soup simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water, 1 cup at a time, if you need to.
- After 45 minutes it is time to taste test! Because of the saltiness of the pancetta and the bouillon cube, I don't find that this recipe needs salt, but feel free to add some if you wish.
- Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil or fresh grated parmesan cheese. Delicious with a fresh baked baguette, of course
- Bon Appétit!
Notes
This French Lentil Soup is also delicious as a "Soupe Passée", or cream soup. Simply add a half cup of cream and mix using an immersion blender. Delicious!
