On these cold days, nothing warms the heart and stomach like this creamy lentil and potato soup, a healthy, nutritious, and tasty vegetarian recipe, to be prepared often throughout the winter. Among the many ways to cook lentils, soups and stews are certainly the most suitable recipes for this time of year (pasta and lentils, for example, but also a particular soup with kale and saffron), because they warm and comfort without weighing you down. Made with a few simple ingredients that we almost always have at home, the creamy lentil and potato soup requires a few minutes of preparation and about half an hour of cooking: great even for those evenings when we return home late, maybe a bit cold, and need a dinner that combines the speed of preparation with the pleasure of comfort food. Given the presence of potatoes, which provide the right amount of carbohydrates, this creamy soup can be enjoyed on its own, simply garnished with a drizzle of oil; but if you prefer, you can also accompany it with some toasted bread croutons.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 257.00 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 38.86 (g) of which sugars 2.93 (g)
- Proteins 11.32 (g)
- Fat 6.18 (g) of which saturated 0.93 (g)of which unsaturated 0.34 (g)
- Fibers 7.99 (g)
- Sodium 338.10 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 360 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Creamy Lentil and Potato Soup
- 12 oz potatoes
- 5.6 oz dried lentils
- 1/2 onion
- 1 carrot
- to taste vegetable broth
- 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pinches salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Strainer
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pan with thick bottom and lid
- 1 Wooden Spoon
How to Prepare the Creamy Lentil and Potato Soup
For the English version of this recipe click here!
To prepare the creamy lentil and potato soup, start by examining the lentils to remove any stones or impurities (very important if you are celiac, because grains containing gluten are often hidden in the bags). Then put them in a strainer and rinse them thoroughly.
If you are using small lentils, soaking is generally not necessary (it is specified on the package); otherwise, they should be placed in plenty of cold water for a couple of hours.
Finely chop half an onion. Scrape and trim the carrot and chop it fairly finely (1). Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes about 1/2 inch on each side (2). If you like, you can add a stalk of celery to the mince.
In a large thick-bottomed pan, pour in the oil, add the carrot and onion mince, and let it sauté briefly over medium heat (3). Then add the potato pieces, lightly salt them, and let them season for a few seconds (4).
Moisten everything with a little hot vegetable broth (5). Add the lentils shortly thereafter (6), another pinch of salt, and a grind of pepper.
Briefly mix and add another ladle of broth. At this point, cover the pan with a lid, placing a wooden spoon or another spacer between it and the pot to allow some steam to escape (7).
Cook the creamy lentil and potato soup for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more hot broth only if it dries out too much. After the cooking time has elapsed, taste the soup to check if the lentils are soft: if not, add a little more broth and extend the cooking time by 5-10 minutes.
When the lentils are tender, remove the lid and let the soup thicken for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until the desired thickness is reached (8).
Serve the creamy lentil and potato soup immediately, garnished with a drizzle of raw oil and/or accompanied by toasted bread croutons.
How to Store Lentil Soup
If there is any leftover, you can store the lentil soup in the refrigerator, closed in a glass container, for a couple of days.
Tips and Variations
The cooking time of the soup essentially depends on the cooking time of the lentils, which in turn varies greatly depending on the quality of the lentils themselves. Therefore, it is better to taste them already after 20 minutes and adjust accordingly, always keeping a little broth or boiling water handy if you need to extend the cooking time.
If you want to make the lentil soup even tastier (but not vegetarian anymore), you can add 80 g of diced sweet pancetta or 50 g of finely chopped lard to the initial sauté.
To give the soup a special and unusual flavor, replace the yellow potatoes with sweet potatoes!
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I make the soup with canned lentils?
Of course, creamy lentil and potato soup can be prepared with pre-cooked canned lentils, or cooked by you with this recipe. You will need about 400 g. Add them to the soup after 15 minutes of cooking, when the potatoes are almost cooked and starting to break apart. Adjust the seasoning and cook everything for another 5 minutes.
Can I use split lentils instead of regular ones?
Yes, split lentils are a great alternative, especially if you have trouble digesting regular lentils. Use the same weight, but since they are ready in about 10 minutes, don’t add them to the soup right away but only 10 minutes after adding the potatoes. If you prefer to cook them separately and then add them at the end, you can follow this recipe.
