With this cozy rain here in California, and this wintery time of year, I have been eating basically nothing but soup for dinner the past few weeks. And loving every bowl-ful of it. There was a creamy spicy bowl of sweet potato soup, a big warm pot of smoky pea soup and now this Hearty CarrotPotato Lentil Soup with garlic, nutritional yeast and onion. Lentils are packed with plant based protein (18g protein and 36% RDA iron in one cup!) - and they have a lovely nutty, warming flavor that pairs so well with potatoes and carrots. Comfort food awaits you with this recipe..

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And I hope you try this soup soon and love it!..

Hearty Carrot-Potato Lentil Soup

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 01/07/2016

This hearty, creamy lentil soup is studded with chunky bits of carrot and potato. Garlic, parsley, nutritional yeast and bay leaf accent.

Ingredients

10oz green lentils (I used sprouted lentils in these photos - but have found success with traditional green lentils as well - sprouted have a bit of a flakier texture)
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced into large pieces
1 ½ cups carrots, diced
1 medium white onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
2-3 cups water
1 bay leaf
½ cup nutritional yeast (or to taste)
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
cayenne to taste (optional)

Instructions

Add the olive oil to a large soup pot over high heat. Then add the onion, garlic and carrots. Saute for 2-3 minutes, until slightly caramelized.
Add in lentils, veggie broth, potato, water and bay leaf. Bring soup to a boil them reduce heat to a simmer and cover with lid.
Simmer until lentils are tender. This depends on the variety of lentils you use. Anywhere from 25-50 minutes should do it. (I have used both quick cook sprouted lentils and basic green dry lentils with success for this recipe.)
Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender - try to get mostly lentils and do not blend the bay leaf. Blend the lentils until creamy. Pour back into the lentil soup. This step makes the soup extra thick, creamy and hearty.
Add the nutritional yeast and parsley and continue to simmer until ready to serve. You can also add more water if you would like a thinner consistency for your soup. Serve warm. I like to add toast or a warm crusty roll with Vegenaise slathered on top.

Yield: 4-6 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 50 mins.
Total time: 60 mins.
Tags: soup,lentils,potato,carrots,entree,vegan,comfort food,gluten free,protein,plant based,dinner