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Rustic French Lentil Soup

Rustic French lentil soup with tender French green lentils simmered in a golden vegetable broth with thyme and bay leaves. Finished with a swirl of olive oil for a rich, warming texture that tastes even better after sitting.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: French
Calories: 240
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp extra olive oil, for serving
yellow onion
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
carrots
  • 2 carrots, diced
celery stalks
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
garlic cloves
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
French green lentils
  • 1.5 cup French green lentils, rinsed French green lentils hold their shape better than brown ones.
vegetable broth
  • 6 cup vegetable broth
bay leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
  • 1 Salt and pepper, to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the vegetables
  1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat, then sauté the diced onion, carrots, and celery for 7 minutes until softened and fragrant.
Simmer the soup
  1. Add the minced garlic, rinsed French green lentils, vegetable broth, bay leaves, and dried thyme, then stir to combine.
  2. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender (look for a steady bubbling and softened lentils).
Finish and serve
  1. Remove the bay leaves, stir in the red wine vinegar, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Ladle the soup into bowls and finish with a swirl of extra olive oil.

Notes

For the best texture, use French green lentils because they hold their shape better than brown lentils during simmering. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove. Freeze yes—portion and freeze up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge. For a dairy-free swap, serve with any gluten-free bread or keep it as-is with extra olive oil; this recipe is naturally vegan as written.