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This spicy bean and lentil soup is a hearty and flavorful dish that combines affordable beans and lentils with a delicious blend of spices. This comforting and filling soup isn’t “spicy” as in hot, but rather chock full of spices like garam masala, cumin, ginger and cardamom.
Why I Think You Will Love This Recipe
- This soup is packed with healthy plant-based protein for a filling lunch or dinner.
- It’s a great vegetarian dish that you can easily customize to your own liking. This was one of the first recipes on my website 15 years ago!
Protein Packed Bean And Lentil Soup.
This soup is an excellent choice for your lunch or dinner and will win over even those skeptical of lentils. Adding vegetables like onions, garlic, and chunky tomatoes rounds out the soup nicely. This soup is a high-protein vegetarian choice, similar to my pumpkin lentil soup or jollof rice with chickpeas which are both amazing vegetarian dishes.
What Are Lentils?
Lentils are legumes that grow on plants and are harvested after drying. They are a cousin to beans, chickpeas, soybeans, and peanuts. With their low-fat content and high levels of protein and fiber, lentils are a nutritious option for many people.
Garam Masala
Garam masala is a spice blend that usually features cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, bay leaf, mace, and black pepper. Some variations also include fennel seeds, red chilies, and black cardamom. The level of “heat” in your garam masala depends on the specific spices and their quantities that you choose to use.
How To Make Spicy Bean & Lentil Soup
I have been looking for more ways to serve beans and lentils that aren’t boring, and this lentil and bean soup is a great way to introduce them to your family.
- In a large pot, add the oil and onion, and saute until tender. Add in the garlic, ginger, and ALL the spices, except the cardamom pods. Saute until the garlic and ginger are fragrant.
- Stir in the vegetable stock, scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Add the remaining ingredients – lentils, chickpeas, beans, tomatoes, and cardamom pods.
- Stir and bring to a low simmer with the lid on for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft.
- Remove the cardamom pods, then puree 1/3 of the soup. Stir to incorporate the puree, and serve.
Use Canned Lentils
If you want to make this soup faster, you can buy canned lentils which are already cooked. Simply rinse and add to the soup and simmer until the flavors are blended together.
Karlynn’s Tips & Tricks
- I did not soak the lentils. With all the spices, this soup needs to simmer for at least 45 minutes to let the flavors meld together, which cooks the lentils perfectly.
- Use only one teaspoon of garam masala if you want it a little less spicy but still have all the flavor.
This “spicy” soup is milder than its name might suggest, so don’t hesitate to give it a try. It doesn’t have the intense heat typically associated with “spicy” but offers a vibrant burst of flavor from the variety of spices used.
Happy Cooking
Love,
Karlynn
More Super Soups!
Spicy Bean and Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ large red onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 cup dry brown lentils rinsed and drained
- one 15 ounce can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- one 15 ounce can white kidney beans rinsed and drained
- one 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 5 cardamom pods
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large lidded soup pot on medium heat Add the onions and saute until tender. Add in the garlic, ginger, and ALL the spices, except the cardamom pods. Saute until the garlic and ginger are fragrant.
- Stir in the vegetable stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze any browned bits from the bottom.
- Stir in the rest of the ingredients – the lentils, chickpeas, beans, tomatoes, and cardamom pods.
- Stir together and bring to a low simmer. Place the lid on the pot and let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft.
- Remove the cardamom pods, then remove 1/3 of the soup to puree. Return the puree to the pot, stir to incorporate the puree, and serve.
Nutrition
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Laura Lee Reid says
I haven’t cooked it yet, because I made a lentil soup today before I saw this recipe. I will, Lord willing, make this. It sounds, by your description, very tasty. What I like particularly is the homey style with which you describe the process. I felt very comfortable and relaxed reading your piece. That is why, also, I am keen to try your recipe. Thanks for sharing it. Amen.
MDIVADOMESTICA says
Wow! I just realised that I have been using an adapted version of your recipe for years! Long before starting my blog.
I love the flavours and the soup is so hearty. It is a family favourite.
darci says
wow sounds yummy and even more exciting since we are practically neighbours! making this today!
Lorrie says
Do you drain and rinse the beans &chickpeas?
Karlynn says
Good catch! I missed that step, yes you do drain and rinse them. Thanks!
Karlynn says
And Valerie, it is exotic tasting, but it’s a mild curry dish. My son can eat curries by the bucket, so honestly he is NOT a good measurement! He eats jalapenos on top of nachos without blinking an eye. Must have been the jalapenos I ate non-stop while pregnant with him, I swear.
Laurel says
Hey where do you get cardamon pods? Also follow up to a different recipe where did you find dried grated lemon?
Karlynn says
Cardamom pods would have been in the aisle at Superstore where they have all the huge yellow bags Indian spices, rice etc, I am almost positive. Grated lemon peel you can grate it yourself and let it dry out, doesn’t take long at all and it’s as easy as heck.
A Canadian Foodie says
A fantastic tutorial. And hilarious – too! I also am working to use more legumes, lentils and on. But, for me. To get Vanja to eat them I’d have to get an elephant to sit on him and also tie him down. I killed myself laughing about how you work to hide nutrients in your hubby’s food. It sounds SO familiar! Vanja loves to eat, but – boy, does he ever cramp my style! He is SO picky and likes such PLAIN food. I loved your shot of the soup half pureed and half whole. It does look delicious. I love soup, too. Is it super exotic? It looks like it might be, yet, if your son likes it….
(everything I make is an epic if you following the dishes!)
🙂
valerie