Vegan Lentil Soup with Spinach has loads of flavor from the tomatoes, cumin, and other spices and this soup is also gluten-free.

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All winter I’ve been cooking and re-photographing some of my favorite soups from the past and now I’m feeling like I need to get them posted! My love of lentils is well documented on the blog, and this Vegan Lentil Soup with Spinach is made from simple pantry ingredients, but it’s loaded with flavor due to the cumin seeds, ground coriander, onions, garlic, and paprika that flavor the soup. 

I added extra flavor to the soup by using vegetable stock in place of water. The soup has a strong cumin flavor, which was one of the things I loved, and it was the perfect way to use up the last bit of one of those huge tubs of spinach from Costco. If you like lentils and spinach I hope you’ll give it a try!

What ingredients do you need?

  • Olive Oil (affiliate link)
  • whole cumin seeds (affiliate link)
  • onion
  • Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
  • ground coriander (affiliate link)
  • fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • paprika
  • brown lentils
  • canned vegetable broth
  • canned petite diced tomatoes with juice
  • chopped spinach (see notes)
  • salt to taste (I didn’t use any salt since I used canned vegetable broth)

What adds extra flavor to this Vegan Lentil Soup?

Using whole cumin seeds (affiliate link) and sizzling them in the hot oil adds a lot of flavor to this soup. If you only have ground cumin, don’t let that stop you from making the soup, but whole cumin will give more flavor. There’s also a lot of flavor from the onions, garlic, ground coriander, and paprika that’s cooked together before you add the lentils and vegetable broth.

Can you use other colors of lentils for this soup?

Lentils can be used quite interchangeably in recipes, although if you use red lentils for this Vegan Lentil Soup, they will soften much more quickly than the brown lentils the recipe calls for. You might enjoy using a combination of brown and red lentils if you have both types on hand!

What other types of greens could you use for Vegan Lentil Soup?

I love this soup with spinach but if you prefer a more assertive type of greens I think kale or swiss chard would also be delicious here. Other greens will take a bit longer to cook.

How to Make Vegan Lentil Soup with Spinach:

(Scroll down for complete recipe including nutritional information.)

  1. In a large dutch oven type pan that will hold all the soup ingredients, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the cumin seeds, stirring a few times, until they’re fragrant and starting to pop, about 3 minutes. (If you’re a cumin fan like I am, you might even use a little more cumin.)
  2. Then add the onion, minced garlic, ground coriander, and black pepper and cook until the onions are softened and starting to slightly brown, about 4 minutes. Add the paprika and cook about 1 minute more.
  3. Measure 1 1/2 cups of plain brown lentils. (Lentils that are fresh will cook more quickly than those that have been sitting on the shelf in the store or in your pantry.)
  4. Add the lentils and vegetable broth, bring to a slight boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are quite tender. Here’s how the soup looked once the lentils were done.
  5. While the lentils cook, wash the spinach if needed and finely chop.
  6. Add the can of tomatoes and chopped spinach to the soup (and a little more vegetable stock if needed) and cook about 30 more minutes, or until the spinach is done and the flavors have blended. Serve hot.

More Delicious Soups with Lentils:

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a new category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Ingredients

  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds (or slightly more if you really like cumin)
  • 1 large onion, chopped small
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 T minced garlic)
  • 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
  • fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 1/2 cups brown lentils
  • four 14 oz. cans vegetable broth or water (see notes)
  • one 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes with juice
  • 2 cups chopped spinach (see notes)
  • salt to taste (I didn’t use any salt since I used canned vegetable broth)

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in large heavy dutch oven, add cumin seeds and cook over medium heat until fragrant and starting to pop, about 3 minutes. (Stir a few times so they don’t burn.)
  2. Stir in onion, minced garlic, ground coriander (affiliate link), and black pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the paprika and cook about 1 minute more.
  3. Add lentils and vegetable broth, bring to a low boil and then reduce heat, and simmer uncovered about 30-40 minutes, or until lentils are quite tender. (Depending on how much water has evaporated and how much the lentils have expanded you may want to add another can of broth or some water at this point. I added a whole can more vegetable broth)
  4. Add diced tomatoes and juice and chopped spinach and simmer uncovered 20-30 more minutes, until soup ingredients are well blended and lentils are starting to break apart.
  5. Season to taste with salt and serve hot.

Notes

Use about 7 cups broth, plus more as needed to thin the soup. I added another can of broth for a total of 5 cans. You need 4-5 oz spinach.

Related
Try This Next Keto Short Rib Chili

This recipe was slightly adapted from The Sugar Solution Cookbook.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 157Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1054mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 7gSugar: 10gProtein: 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This tasty lentil soup with spinach is a perfect dish for low-glycemic diets or any phase of the original South Beach Diet, but dried beans and lentils are a limited food for South Beach Phase One. This is too high on carbs for traditional low-carb diet plans.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Recipes by Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
Vegan Lentil Soup with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Cumin was first posted in 2008, updated with better photos and step-by-step instructions, March 2014, and last updated 2021.

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Keto Short Rib Chili

Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.

There’s a definite chill in the air. Can you feel it? Well, maybe not in some parts of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn is on its way, if not already here.

The best part of fall is the comfort food and there is no food more comforting than this short rib chili. Well, maybe my Shrimp and Bacon Chowder. Or perhaps my keto Cream of Mushroom Soup. And my Buffalo Chicken Soup is also pretty darn spectacular.

But this keto chili recipe definitely makes the short list.

Chili is and always has been one of my favorite foods, because even not very good chili is pretty darn comforting when you’re cold and hungry. How can you go wrong with meat cooked slowly in rich spices and a thick tomato broth? You can’t, that’s all. You can’t go wrong.

And the crazy part is that while I make chili all. the. time, I don’t actually have a good keto chili recipe here on All Day I Dream About Food. Until now, that is.

What makes the best keto chili?

Well, what really makes good chili is a matter of opinion and taste. And probably a few feuds as well. Everyone has their own take on the best way to make chili.

In my experience, a slow simmered chili recipe is best, as it allows the flavors to develop and intensify over time. So don’t be fooled by promises of “fast and easy”. Good chili is usually easy to make but it takes time to cook.

Keto chili should be devoid of any higher carb items like beans, though. That goes almost without saying, because beans are high in carbs and many consider them inflammatory. Onion needs to be kept to a minimum as well, since it’s surprisingly high carb.

Tomato sauce, paste, and puree can also send the carb count up if used too liberally. I like to keep my chili to less than 5g total carbs per serving, so I use a single can of diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes help bring out the best flavor.

But the focus of a good keto chili recipe should always be the meat and the spices. Use beef with a high percentage of fat for a satisfying meal, and be generous with the chili, cumin, and garlic.

Can you make keto chili ahead of time?

I find myself wanting to answer this question with a smart ass comment like “Is the pope Catholic?”. Because chili is perhaps the best make ahead meal on the planet.

It’s one of those dishes that seems to actually get better when it’s eaten the next day or even a few days later. And one of the benefits of keto chili is that there are no beans to get mushy as they sit and soften. So it’s just as good or better than the day you made it.

So go ahead and make a huge pot of this short rib chili. This particular recipe serves 10 people. Let it cool to room temperature and then split it up however you see fit. You can do individual servings, or portion it out for your family size.

The chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. We froze our leftovers back in May and I just fed my family the second portion about a month ago!

Because it contains acidic ingredients like tomatoes, I recommend storing in glass containers if you have them. If not, good BPA-Free tupperware works too.

Tips for making Short Rib Chili

Short ribs are ideal for comfort food dishes like this, because they are fatty and rich, and become incredibly tender with slow braising.

Always brown the ribs first: This step adds 10 minutes or so, but it’s worth it. Browning the meat in lard or oil helps bring out the best flavor, before the liquids are added. Otherwise, you are essentially just eating stewed meat. Transfer the ribs to a plate while making the rest of the chili.

Sweat the onions and other veggies: While I do keep the onion to a minimum, it definitely helps add flavor. So add the onion and green pepper to the pot and sauté in the oils and fats with a little bit of salt. This will help them release their juices and flavor.

Add the spices into the hot oil: Before adding any liquids into the pot, you want to briefly sauté the garlic, jalapeño, and spices in the hot oil. This enhances and intensifies the flavor.

Adjust the heat to your liking: My husband and I like our chili pretty spicy but our kids have more tender palates. So we keep the heat at a medium level. I always add the seeds from the jalapeño but you can leave them out if you want less spice. You can also leave out the cayenne. Or you can add more jalapeño and cayenne too.

Now add the liquids and the meat: Once the spices and garlic are fragrant, stir in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer before adding the meat.

Slow braise in the oven: You’re looking at a good two to three hours of cooking, but this time is completely inactive. You can be doing lots of other things during this time. Slow braising makes the meat from the short ribs fall off the bone and shred more easily.

Doesn’t this keto short rib chili sound like the perfect comfort food? 

Check out my Keto Soups & Stews cookbook for more delicious comfort food recipes.

A bowl of keto short rib chii topped with sour cream, cilantro, avocado and jalapeno

Keto Short Rib Chili

Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.

Related
Popular Recipe Cream of Asparagus Soup – Dairy Free Keto Recipe

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: keto chili, keto chili recipe, short rib chili

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 428kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 lb bone in short ribs
  • Salt and pepper
  • ¼ cup bacon fat, lard, or other high-heat oil
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 1 large green pepper chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 medium jalapeno pepper minced (leave the seeds in for more heat)
  • 2 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne
  • 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
  • ⅓ cup beef bone broth

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300F and season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.

  • In a large dutch oven over medium heat, melt the bacon fat or lard. Once hot, add half the short ribs and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining short ribs. Transfer to the plate.

  • Add the onion and pepper to the pot, sprinkle with salt, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, and cook another minute, until fragrant.

  • Stir in the roasted tomatoes and bone broth and bring to a simmer. Add the short ribs back into the pot, cover and transfer to the oven.

  • Cook 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs, shred the meat and return the meat to the pot. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favorite chili toppings.

Nutrition Facts

Keto Short Rib Chili

Amount Per Serving (1 serving = about 1 cup)

Calories 428
Calories from Fat 319

% Daily Value*

Fat 35.4g54%

Carbohydrates 4g1%

Fiber 1.2g5%

Protein 22.6g45%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.



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Hi, I'm Alex!

I love sharing easy, healthy, and family-friendly recipes that anyone can make at home.