Lentil Mushroom Soup with Fresh Dill
A base recipe for delicious homemade soups!
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We’re in that part of the (long, dark, cold) winter where I tend to eat soup pretty much every day for lunch, and sometimes for dinner too. I make a big batch of soup at least once a week, using up whatever vegetables I have on hand.
Today I’m sharing with you a recipe for Lentil Mushroom Soup (more on why I love that combo in a bit). You can cook it just as the recipe is written, or you can use it as a base recipe to riff on, using up whatever vegetables are in your fridge. On Friday, I’ll be sharing a big guide with you, as well as a video, that includes a lot more detail on how to create your own soup from scratch, a link to one of my favorite soup-making tools, and more. Stay tuned!
My goal this week is to dispel the notion that making soup is hard. Once you have the formula down, it really is quite simple! I’m also trying to debunk the myth that you need homemade stock (the “hard” part) to make a good soup. Even if I had homemade stock on hand—and for me, that’s usually chicken—I would save that for something really chicken-y like tortellini en brodo, chicken noodle soup, or matzo ball soup—dishes in which the pure chicken flavor really needs to shine through.
I recently started using Better than Boullion, a paste-like base you can spoon right into your soup to give it a little flavor boost—and it really does have a lot of flavor. I also keep Kitchen Accomplice on hand. This is a liquid concentrate that’s super convenient to use—just squirt some into whatever you’re cooking, no spoon needed. I have stopped buying the quart-size boxes of stock; most of them have little flavor, so you’re basically paying a lot for a big box of mostly water. Concentrates take up less room in your pantry and fridge, and they taste better too!
Lately I’ve been making this lentil and mushroom variation with fresh dill. The dill reminds me of the Russian flavor profile I grew up with, as well as the Ukrainian soups from my neighborhood in the east village in NYC, especially Veselka. It’s an especially comforting flavor for these frigid days we’re having in the Northeast. Dill is a very specific flavor, so if you don’t like it, use some fresh parsley or even scallions to brighten the color and flavor up at the end. I like that beautiful dill is one of those “always available” fresh herbs in the grocery store, especially in these months when my herb garden is dormant.
Read on for this specific recipe, and come back to it all year long as a guide for your own homemade soup creations. If the idea of “winging it” still intimidates you, stay tuned for Friday’s newsletter, in which I’ll provide a formula—and video tutorial—for making just about any soup.
Lentil Mushroom Soup
Makes a lot
This is a “no-recipe” recipe, so I will leave some of the amounts to your judgment.
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 to 2 cups sliced leeks (optional)
3 to 4 stalks celery, diced
1/2 bulb fennel (optional), diced
8 ounces cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced
4 large carrots, cut into bite-size chunks
1 pound (1/2 small head) cauliflower, chopped (optional)
1 pound butternut squash chunks (optional)
1/2 cup to 1 cup French green lentils (rinsed and picked through for tiny rocks—it can happen!)
A few spoonfuls of stock concentrate, like Better than Bouillon, or homemade stock
A few cups of water (if not using homemade stock)
Sprigs of fresh thyme (optional)
1 bay leaf
Parmesan rind (optional)
Fresh dill, chopped (or another fresh herb)
In a large, deep pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is turning translucent. Add the leeks if using, along with the celery and the fennel. Season again with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring for 8 to 10 minutes, until thoroughly wilted. If the vegetables begin browning, turn down the heat and/or cover the pot briefly (a little bit of browning is OK). If using mushrooms, add them now, season them, and cook until slightly wilted.
Add the carrots, cauliflower, squash, and lentils. Add enough water to cover the vegetables by a few inches and add the stock concentrate. Alternatively, add homemade stock here. (If you are using stock but need more liquid, use water.)
Add a handful of chopped dill, reserving some for garnish. Add the thyme, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind, if using, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the lentils and the squash are both tender. You should be able to smash a piece of squash against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the thyme stems, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind. Serve with more fresh dill on top.
TIP: When serving, add any of the following to make it a heartier meal.
Leftover cooked chicken
Leftover meatballs
Shaved or grated parmesan cheese
Poach an egg right in the soup (heat what you need in a small saucepan)
Cooked pasta or rice
