- Today, I'm gonna show you how to make a classic lentil soup recipe that is hearty, healthy,
delightfully filling with plant-based protein, and a warming on those
cool fall and wintry days. While there are many
variations of lentil soup, you can't go wrong with a
simple Mediterranean version that is loaded with fire-roasted tomatoes, your mirepoix mix of
celery, carrots, and onions, a few minced garlic cloves, and spices like oregano, basil, and thyme. It's an easy one-pot recipe that's a satiating full meal
and an economical one to boot. I'm happy to partner with
my friends at Vitamix to bring you today's recipe. And if you're wondering, "Wait, how is she using a Vitamix on a soup that has a chunky texture?" Well, you're just gonna have to wait and see the sneaky surprise. So let's get started. Our lentil soup today
starts with two carrots, and you can peel or not
peel these, it's up to you, but if you don't peel them, just make sure to give them a good scrub. And after they're peeled,
you'll slice and dice them. I always find it's easier
to slice carrots in half. Then slice those halves
in half lengthwise. That gives you a nice flat
edge, and you can flip them over and slice them into three or four strips. Then cut across for
the perfect small dice. (upbeat music) Once all the carrots are diced up, just place them in a bowl. The goal with a mirepoix
mix is to keep the veggies about the same size so that
everything cooks evenly in the pot. So with two ribs of celery, slice them lengthwise
into a couple of strips, then cut across for a dice
that's similar in size to the carrots. Of course, soup recipes
are always flexible. And if you'd like a little
bit more carrot or more celery in the finished recipe,
always feel free to tweak it. And the last veggie you're gonna saute up is a yellow onion. So peel that, and once
again, slice and dice it. If you guys have been following
my videos for a while, you know that my eyes are
super sensitive to onions. So what you don't see right now is the tears absolutely
streaming down my face. And, yes, I did remember to put this onion in the fridge before slicing,
and I sharpened my knife, but my eyes, I tell ya, they
are just hyper-sensitive. The only thing I haven't done is wear goggles in the kitchen, though, I don't know if I can
bring myself to wear those. I think I'd just rather have the tears, but getting back to the recipe, after your onion is all diced up, if the chunks are a bit on the big side, feel free to go back over
them with your knife, and then transfer all of that to your bowl with the other veggies. In a large pot, on medium heat, add a good amount of olive
oil, about 1/4 of a cup, you wanna have enough oil to
coat all of the vegetables to help bring out their flavor. So once the oil is hot and
shimmering, add the veggies, you can just dump them all in at once and then give them a stir. You'll cook these for about five minutes or until they have softened and the onion becomes translucent. Add two tablespoons of tomato paste, which will add body to this soup. Three to four cloves of
minced garlic and the spices, which includes two teaspoons of cumin, one teaspoon of dried oregano, one teaspoon of dried basil, and one teaspoon of dried thyme. You could also use three
teaspoons of Italian seasoning as a substitute for the
oregano, basil, and thyme. And then, season with salt and pepper. Give that a stir and toast the spices for another one to two minutes to help release their natural aromas. (upbeat music continues) Now comes all of the
more liquidy ingredients, including 28 ounces of
fire-roasted diced tomatoes. You can use regular diced tomatoes, but if you can find fire-roasted tomatoes, it really does elevate the flavor. And then, pour in six cups
of vegetable broth or water. I usually add four cups of vegetable broth and two cups of water, just so I don't have a half of a container of vegetable broth sitting in my fridge. Lastly, add one cup of green lentils that you've rinsed and cleaned. You could also use brown lentils, but steer clear of French
lentils or red lentils for this particular recipe as
it will change the cook time. Once everything's in the
pot, give that a stir, bring it back to a boil
and you can skim off some of that scum that
accumulates on the surface if you'd like, but you don't have to. Just loosely cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and
simmer it for 25 to 30 minutes. So while the soup is simmering, you can prepare the last
couple of ingredients. And that includes juicing one lemon and slicing up about
a half a bunch of kale or three to four leaves. The lemon juice is really
key for that bright flavor and the kale adds extra hardiness, in addition to a bunch of
vitamins and nutrients, just remove the stem from the kale and slice it up into thin strips. I'll take these ingredients
over to the stove. And then I can tell you about Vitamix's exciting new product. It's an immersion blender. And let me tell you, this little baby is pretty darn powerful
with a 625-watt motor. Which should come as no surprise
since it's made by Vitamix. This is the perfect product
to help you enjoy soup season. And at the top of the immersion blender, you'll notice two buttons, the on-off button and the speed button, because there are five variable speeds. This means that you can choose how fast you'd like the four-pronged
blade to blend. And what I always do is
start it on low speed, just so I don't accidentally
splatter things, then gradually increase the speed, and it's easy to do with one finger. (upbeat music continues) But what I really love is the handle, and how comfortable the fit is in my hand, it's very easy to hold. And while it does have
a little bit more heft than my previous plastic
immersion blender, it's easy to use with one hand, and it just feels balanced. At the bottom, you'll see a bell guard, which will protect all your
pots and pans from scratches. And cleaning is a breeze. You just twist it apart, clean the bottom with warm,
soapy water in your sink, and then twist it back together. (upbeat music continues) So it's now been about 25 minutes, and I'd say the soup looks done, and this is where the immersion
blender comes in handy. It's perfect for recipes like today, where you want a slightly
creamy, slightly chunky texture, because you don't have to
transfer part of the soup to your blender. You can just stick the
immersion blender in your pot and spot blend in a few areas until you have the exact
texture you're going for. And that's about how I like it
for this lentil soup recipe. All right, for the finishing
touches on this soup, add the kale that you've sliced
up and the fresh lemon juice and stir for another minute
or two to soften the kale. At this point, it's always a good idea to give the soup a quick taste
test, and see if you'd like to add any additional lemon
juice, salt or pepper. And if the soup is too thick, and if you'd like it a bit thinner, you can always stir in a
little bit more water or broth, but if you're happy with it,
it is ready to be served up. This lentil soup is a
cold weather essential, and you can store any meal prep leftovers. I showed this on Instagram last week and used my Souper Cubes to
freeze individual portions, but you could also use
Weck jars, Mason jars, or other freezer-safe storage containers. Then it's as simple as reheating a batch when you're craving a meal that will warm and nourish you from the inside out. (upbeat music continues) I hope you guys enjoyed this recipe today. Definitely put the
Vitamix Immersion Blender on your holiday wishlist,
and I'll link to it below. And I will see you
again in the next video. (upbeat music continues)
