French Lentil and Mushroom Soup
Total Time
1 hour
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Rating
5 out of 5 stars
(20)
Ingredients
6 to 8 servings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large leeks (white and light green parts only), halved and sliced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 pound baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 5 large cloves garlic
- 2/3 cup dry white wine
- 8 cups vegetable stock
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups French lentils, rinsed and drained
- 3 large handfuls of baby spinach (or chopped kale or collard greens)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
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Preparation
Step 1
Sauté the veggies. Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, celery, mushrooms, and sauté for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the white wine and deglaze the pan by using a wooden spoon to gently lift up any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Step 2
Simmer. Add in the vegetable stock, thyme, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Add in the lentils and stir to combine. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender, checking back occasionally to stir the soup so that the lentils do not stick to the bottom of the pot.
Step 3
Season. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in the spinach and balsamic until the spinach begins to wilt. Then give the soup a taste and season with however much salt, black pepper, and/or extra balsamic you think is needed.
Step 4
Serve. Serve the soup warm, garnished with an extra crack of black pepper (optional), and enjoy!
Step 5
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Chef's notes
Prepping the leeks:
Leeks can often have dirt hiding between their inner layers. Trim off the dark green parts and the ends of each leek. Slice the leeks in half lengthwise, slice each half into thin half-moons, transfer the chopped leeks to a strainer and rinse with cold water, and drain.
Herb options:
Fresh thyme is recommended, but dried thyme or herbs like rosemary, tarragon, and/or herbs de Provence can also be used.
Broth note:
The soup will soak up more broth as it sits, so feel free to add extra stock and seasonings as needed.
Storage instructions:
Leftover soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
