This protein-rich beef and lentil soup makes a delicious lunch. I prepare a big batch of this and reheat it all week.
| Prep Time: | 20 mins |
| Cook Time: | 2 hrs 5 mins |
| Total Time: | 2 hrs 25 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 2 large stalks celery, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried cilantro
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 (32 ounce) cartons chicken broth
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups dry lentils
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Season beef with salt and pepper, then gently add to the pot and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer beef to a plate and reserve remaining oil in the pot.
- Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, cilantro, and oregano to the pot; cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 8 minutes.
- Pour in chicken broth and tomatoes, then return beef to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until beef is beginning to turn tender, about 1 hour.
- Add lentils, then cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Season again with salt and pepper, then stir in parsley. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 343 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 38 g |
| Cholesterol | 36 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 17 g |
| Protein | 25 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Sodium | 1351 mg |
| Sugars | 7 g |
| Fat | 9 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
After reading the reviews, made some changes. I used beef bullion to make the broth instead of chicken broth and I didn’t have garlic so I used 2 tsp of garlic powder. The tomatoes I had on hand were the ones with garlic, basil and onion. It was VERY flavorful, delicious and filling. I also cut the lentils in half. Yummy!
Love this recipe. I use beef broth and add green beans, zucchini and sometimes spinach at the end of the cooking time. I freeze in jumbo silicone muffin pans and have for easy lunches.
So made this with a hunk of ham I had in the freezer instead of the beef, and it turned out awesome. My parents and my daughter, who are very particular about our homemade soup, absolutely loved it. I will be adding this to the family cookbook to make again.
In step two, after 20 minutes I added the lentils and skipped step 3. It turned out so delicious and the meat so tender! This is an excellent recipe every cook should know! Using this recipe I know I can change around meats, spices, and veggies and have an excellent dish every time. Thank you!
Amazing and simple recipe. I used ground beef instead. I would upload a picture but it will not let me
This was pretty good! I didn’t have cilantro so I added a tiny bit of ground bay leaves and chili powder. I also added a whole small box of spinach for even more iron. I think it could use a bit more flavour- maybe more spices/herbs. Perhaps 1lb cooked ground beef in a packet of taco seasoning would be great here.
Used beef broth and 1 and a half cup lentils.Tasted really good!
excellent soup on any occasion
I made this using tiny lentils and leftover steak. it was delicious!
Yummy! Thanks for the recipe! Followed exactly. I just needed to add a little extra salt.
Very hardy soup.
My husband and I really like eating this soup, but we made some changes to it that we think make it taste MUCH better and have more flavor. The changes we made are as followed: 1. We changed the chicken broth to beef broth (why chicken when you are cooking beef?) and added 2 cups more since the lentils absorb so much of the broth. 2. We also halved the lentils put in to make the soup more liquid and less lentil thick. 3. We added kale and red cabbage at the end to add some really nice crunch and texture to the soup.
It was super delicious, but i had a problem with the liquid. In 30 min after the beef etc were added the soup became too thick and started sticking to the pan, so that i had to add water twice. Also added cumin which i love.
Good base recipe….just needs a lot more flavor than just salt pepper and oregano…I ended up putting thyme, Italian and a little bit of creole and cayenne to give it some real flavor
Came out great. I did use beef broth instead of the chicken. Other than that I followed the recipe to a T. The recipe made a big pot of soup and since it’s just my husband and myself I froze the leftovers and will get at least 2 more meals out it.
I put twice the amount of steak, and this recipie makes a gallon of soup. I used fresh cilantro and added it when serving with some parmesian cheese. excellent flavor.
I used filet mignon. Simply amazing!!!
Reminded me a lot of what my mom used to make so I added whatever else she did put like chorizo and potatoes, and I have to say that a lot of the flavour comes indeed from the chorizo. Use fresh cilantro for a stronger herby flavour, and please do not add cheese when you serve it, it might overpower an already tasty dish. Very simple to make!
I, too, swapped out beef broth for the chicken broth and it was excellent.
I also used beef broth instead of chicken broth and diced up a couple of fresh jalapeños with the veggies. We like everything with a little heat.
I made this last winter and am excited to be making it again. Used half chicken half veggie broth, sirloin tips, minced garlic instead of fresh, added a bit of onion powder, some bite size potato pieces, and a dash cayenne, and will add fresh spinach and arugula at the end or mix it in as I serve it. would have added a beef bouillon if I had one. Great recipe!