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    Beef and Lentil Soup

    January 11, 2024

    Soup season wouldn’t be the same without this hearty beef and lentil soup. There’s a healthy serving of green beans and zucchini in a tomato broth, making this one of our favorite cozy soups.

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    a pot of beef and lentil soup made with ground beef, zucchini, green beans, carrots, onion, celery and lentils
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    Looking for More Hearty Soup Recipes?

    An Easy Beef and Lentil Soup Recipe

    When soup season hits, lentils are one of our favorite ingredients. This beef and lentil soup has a similar flavor profile to our Vegetable Soup, but with the heartiness of lentils. Looking to skip the beef altogether? Make our vegetarian Lentil Stew or Red Lentil Soup. If you’re craving more lentil recipes, we have several to choose from. This hearty soup truly stands on its own, but our Italian Salad or our Kale Salad with a side of crusty bread are excellent additions. Be sure to also check out our 30 Best Soup Recipe!

    ground beef, zucchini, green beans, carrots, onion, celery, stock, crushed tomatoes, lentils and spices in prep bowls

    Ingredients For This Hearty Beef Soup With Lentils And Vegetables

    • Ground beef and dried green lentils

    • For the base – onion, celery, carrots, garlic

    • Chicken or vegetable stock, canned crushed tomatoes

    • Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper

    • Vegetables – Zucchini and green beans

    • Fresh herbs – basil and parsley

    ground beef and chopped onion being cooked in olive oil in a large pot
    ground beef, chopped onion, carrots and celery and minced garlic being cooked in a large pot with olive oil.
    spices, crushed tomatoes and broth being added to a pot with ground beef and veggies
    green lentils being added to a pot with spices, crushed tomatoes, broth, ground beef and veggies

    How to Make Lentil Soup with Ground Beef

    1. Brown the beef with the onion in a large pot.

    2. Add celery, carrots, and garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant.

    3. Add the stock, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and stir in the lentils.

    4. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.

    5. Add the zucchini and green beans and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until lentils and vegetables are tender.

    6. Stir in the fresh herbs and serve piping hot!

    zucchini and green beans being added to a pot of beef and lentil soup
    parsley and basil being stirred into a pot of beef and lentil soup

    How to Store Leftovers + Tips

    • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days.

    • If freezing, we recommend reducing the simmer time by 5-10 minutes so the texture isn’t totally lost when you defrost it. When ready to heat, just defrost and bring to a low simmer before serving.

    • Ground turkey, chicken or pork also work in this soup. Italian sausage would also be a lovely addition. Keep the cooktimes the same and adjust the salt as needed.

    • If using pre-cooked lentils, add 4 cups at the same time as the zucchini and green beans and reduce the liquid to just 4 cups of stock.

    a bowl of homemade beef and lentil soup sprinkled with pepper, basil and parsley served with crusty bread

    More Soups To Love From The Modern Proper

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    Beef and Lentil Soup

    Updated on January 11, 2024

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  10 min
    • Cook Time:  50 min
    • Calories:  403
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    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 pound 80/20 ground beef
    • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
    • 4 celery ribs, chopped
    • 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
    • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
    • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more for serving
    • 1½ cups dried green lentils
    • 2 medium zucchini, chopped
    • ¼ pound green beans, trimmed and roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
    • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
    • ¼ cup finely chopped basil leaves, plus more for serving

    Method

    1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the beef and onion. Cook, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, until browned and the onion is softened, about 8 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.

    2. Add the stock, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir in the lentils and increase the heat to high. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Add the zucchini and green beans and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until lentils and vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes more.

    3. Stir in the parsley and basil. Divide the soup between 6 bowls and top with pepper and more parsley and basil.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 403
    • Protein 28 g
    • Carbohydrates 38 g
    • Total Fat 20 g
    • Dietary Fiber 15 g
    • Cholesterol 0 mg
    • sodium 1232 mg
    • Total Sugars 10 g

    Beef and Lentil Soup

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Merideth

      Could I substitute a different color of lentils or does the soup only work with green?

      Any color will work fine !

    • Jenn

      Perfect pot of soup. Thanks!

      Thanks Jenn, so happy you liked it!