Vegetable Lentil Soup is a quick and hearty soup recipe for any chilly winter day. It cooks up in under 30 minutes, due to the small size of lentils, and the addition of pretty much any veggies you have on hand ensures it will be a go-to recipe. Pair with homemade gluten free bread or serve in these stunning acorn squash bowls for the ultimate presentation!
There’s another secret to this delicious vegetable lentil soup — it gets extra flavor from an unlikely ingredient: gluten free beer! Its savory undertones add complexity to this colorful, nutritious soup. Feel free to skip, of course, but if you’d like to try it out, pick a naturally gluten free beer from the extensive choices available in my Gluten Free Beer Tasting Notes!
Skip the beer and add more vegetable broth if you prefer, but consider the beer as another layer of flavor that sets this lentil soup apart.
Even if you think you don’t like the taste of beer, it imparts a subtle and aromatic addition that’s not to be overlooked.
Is Bouillon Gluten Free?
If you’re not using gluten free beer, try a vegetable stock or gluten-free bouillon like Massel that is also MSG-free.
Maggi Bouillon Cubes are not gluten free
Some bouillon — especially cubes — contain wheat in the flavoring, so always check ingredients, both when making soup and when eating someone else’s soup!
Maggi Bouillon cubes contain wheat, for example, so avoid!
Also, be sure to rinse and pick through your lentils before cooking, as they have been found to sometimes contain errant grains of wheat or barley, and other debris. It’s important to clean them well before cooking.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried lentils (I used multi-color)
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 stalks celery diced
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- 2 scallions diced
- 3 carrots diced
- 64 ounces vegetable broth
- 12 ounces gluten free beer or equal amount vegetable broth
- 2 cans of fire roasted tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes cubed
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place lentils in a large pot and cover with water, adding an extra one inch of water above the lentil water line. Boil for 10-15 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Drain and rinse well.
- Wash the pot and return to the stove. Over medium-high heat, sauté celery, onion, scallions and carrots in oil until the onions are translucent and fragrant.
- Add vegetable broth, gluten free beer, cooked lentils, tomatoes, spinach and herbs. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and uncover the pot, cooking until all the vegetables are softened.
- Serve warm in acorn squash soup bowls.
Notes
** Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
I hope you love this recipe and make it your own!
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We make this recipe all the time and just vary the vegetable ingredients based upon what we have on hand — delish!!!
So glad to hear that you are not feeling constrained by the list of veggies I have here, and are making this recipe your way and loving it, Sue!
~jules
Adorable serving idea! Lentils are prob my favorite legume – your soup looks great.
I think I’ve eaten lentil soup weekly since it’s gotten so cold outside but I’m missing out by not adding beer to it. What a great idea.
Jules, this soup sounds delicious! It’s perfect for autumn, and I’m sure the Coors Peak adds a depth of flavor. It was great to find this post through Gluten Free Fridays. I hope you have a wonderful weekend too! 😀
I hope you get to try it with the Coors Peak, Kaila, it’s sooooo good!
~jules
What specific gf beer would you recommend to replace the Coors Peak?
Hi Mary, I’ve made this soup with several other naturally gluten free beers out on the market. I would say any of the lighter (blondes or ales) choices would be good, but a heavier lager or stout would also be good, just different. Check out my reviews and gluten free beer tasting notes to see other options.
~jules