It’s all about that broth. This lentils and potatoes soup features a robust roasted garlic broth with miso and a full head of roasted garlic. Don’t worry, the roasting makes the garlic mellow and well-rounded. Along with fresh thyme, smoked paprika, and chopped kale, this easy vegan soup is SO satisfying. I recommend trying it with homemade vegetable stock for the best flavor.
I find that styles of soup can be predictable over time. I’ve posted over 40 recipes in the 14+ years I’ve been blogging! You’ve got creamy soups, tomato-based options, clear brothy recipes, and thick dal-like dishes. I love them all, but sometimes I need to experiment.
I was trying to come up with something a little different when one night I blended a lot of roasted garlic with vegetable stock before pouring it all into a simple vegetable soup. The flavor was outstanding and I knew that it would translate to a variety of dishes.
Turns out this is a great way to bring some high impact flavor to a relatively simple lentils and potatoes soup recipe. The potatoes have such a creamy and silky texture after simmering in that robust broth. I choose green lentils because I always have them around and I appreciate that they have a bigger bite.
This combination is truly ideal for colder weather. My fave arugula fennel salad would make a nice, ultra fresh accompaniment. And don’t forget the crusty bread!
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Lentils & Potatoes Soup with Garlic Broth & Greens
Ingredients
- 1 big head or 2 small heads of garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon light miso
- 6-8 cups vegetable stock, divided (see notes)
- 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
- 1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ¾ lb baby potatoes, halved and sliced
- ¾ cup green lentils, rinsed
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 cups chopped kale, lightly packed (about 1 small bunch)
- 3-4 drops liquid smoke (optional)
- lemon wedges, to serve
- chili oil, to serve (optional)
Equipment
Notes
- I used baby Yukon gold potatoes as I pretty much always have those on hand.
- You can roast the garlic bulbs ahead of time, perhaps when you’ve already got the oven on for something else! Keep them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- I prefer a full 8 cups of stock so that this soup is a bit more brothy. If you appreciate a thicker soup, stop at 6 cups.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the top third off of the garlic bulbs. Place them on a sheet of foil. Drizzle the exposed garlic cloves with about 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Close up the foil around the garlic in a nice tight, sealed packet and pop it in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. The garlic should be deep golden brown and soft when done.
- Once cool enough to handle, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the pitcher of an upright blender. Add the miso as well. Add 1-2 cups of vegetable stock and blend on high until totally liquified. Set this mixture aside.
- Set a heavy-bottomed pot (like a Dutch oven) on the stove and set it to medium heat. Once hot, pour in the remaining olive oil and swirl it around. Add the onions and carrots and sauté until onions are translucent and very soft, about 8-10 minutes. If they’re starting to brown, lower the heat.
- Add the thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and nutritional yeast. Stir to mix in. Add the potatoes and green lentils. Season with salt and pepper and stir.
- Pour the roasted garlic stock mixture into the pot along with the remaining vegetable stock. Stir to combine. Place a lid on top of the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, set the lid slightly askew so steam can escape and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer until potatoes and lentils are tender, about 20-25 minutes.
- Once potatoes and lentils are tender, add the chopped kale and liquid smoke (if using), and stir. Let the kale simmer until it wilts and softens, about 2 minutes. Check the soup for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve the soup hot with lemon wedges and chili oil (if using).
This was so good! The broth reminded me a little of some vegan ramen I’ve had. I’ll be making this again as written but I am sure it would also be great as a fridge clean out soup with extra veggies.
I made this soup last night and it was fantastic! It was the flavor of the broth that we liked so much – the roasted garlic and miso and nooch combining with the spices to make something more than the sum of its parts. I made a couple of changes that worked out fine – I used beans instead of lentils – I needed to use them up, so cooked them separately and added at the end. Also, I swapped squash for greens – also cooked separately and added at the end. I admire the simplicity of your recipe though – the lentils and greens cooking together with the potatoes – I really made a lot more work for myself!
Perfect soup. Thank you for the recipe!
This is so delicious! I left out the smoke ( I’m not a fan of it) and definitely do not skip over the lemon squeeze! Another great recipe I’ll definitely make on repeat! Thank you
Absolutely delicious. The roasted garlic is a game-changer! Well done!
No complicated steps or weird ingredients!
Can collard greens be used instead of kale for this recipe
Yes definitely! I would recommend cooking them a bit longer though.
-L
YOU DO NOT NEED TO ADD POWEDERED ONION & GARLIC USE REAL FRESH INGREDIENTS
Why do Americans always add completely unneccessary ingredients & additives – i assume its to make it more like the shop bought fake food taste. YOU DON’T NEED IT
LB, Are you mad or something? Why are you using all caps? I’m also not American–what’s going on with that assumption? Americans “always add completely unnecessary ingredients”? Such a rude, UNNECESSARY comment.
Garlic and onion powders are not additives and they’re certainly not fake–just dried and powdered versions of fresh garlic and onions. In my recipes, they are their own ingredients; not substitutes for the real thing. I’m not sure you even looked at the recipe you’re commenting on as it features an entire head of FRESH, REAL garlic and one FRESH, REAL onion.
Using the powders makes the final soup extra savoury and flavourful–just a deeper edge of well-developed garlic and onion flavor.
Hope your day gets better.
-L
How would you make this in an Instant Pot? Could you use spinach instead of kale? I vote for Worcestershire sce over miso any day! Thanks for the idea!
Hi Anne,
Once you have the roasted garlic broth made, I would do steps 3 and 4 using the SAUTÉ button/setting of the Instant Pot. When you’ve added the broth (do not add the kale), close the lid on the Instant Pot, and set the valve to sealing. Switch the mode to Manual Pressure Cook on High and set for 15 minutes, allowing natural pressure release. Once the pressure is released and you can open it up, add the kale. It should still be hot enough to wilt the kale, but if not, change the setting to SAUTÉ to bring it up to a boil. I have to tell you I have not made this particular soup this way and am basing these instructions on previous soups that I have made with lentils and potatoes. I can’t guarantee that it will be exactly the same!
-L
Comforting and DELICIOUS! Easy and comes together quickly, so good!
Looking very much forward to trying this
Thank you for sharing this
Nora
This was brilliant! Rich and almost creamy from the miso, nooch, and garlic.
This soup was delicious!
I did not have homemade stock on hand, so I used Better than Bouillon. I also used dried thyme due to sheer laziness even though I had fresh thyme in the fridge (!).
Easy to make. Tasty to eat. Loved it!
BTW, neither miso nor nutritional yeast were detectable as distinct flavors but likely contributed tremendously to overall savory, umami deliciousness.
This looks divine! I often blend stock and sundried tomatoes together to make broth and I’m always really excited to use this much roasted garlic in anything!
We just got a small air fryer for Christmas. Has anyone tried roasting garlic in an air fryer instead of the oven?
I have done it before! It takes about 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees. I do find that the garlic cloves brown faster, but they don’t get as tender. You still get that slightly sweet flavor though.
-L
Thank you Laura, I will definitely be making this within the next week!
I do not like the flavour of miso – is there something else I can use or will the flavour be fine without the miso or a substitute?
Can you please tell me what the purpose of nutritional yeast is – it isn’t something that I keep on hand.
It’s definitely soup season and I always welcome a new soup recipe!
Hi Lesli!
Thanks for these questions. I use the miso to amp up the umami/savory flavor qualities overall. You could simply leave it out OR finish the soup with a dash of soy sauce/vegan Worcestershire sauce if you have those on hand and enjoy them. The nutritional yeast is another ingredient that increases the overall savory flavor. Some folks describe the flavor of this inactive yeast as “cheesy” and it’s often employed in vegan recipes where this flavor is expected (caesar salad dressing, “parmesan”-like mixtures etc).
-L